Unravelling Destiny
by Loopstagirl
Summary: Merlin was getting used to his life in Camelot. Then a threat as old as the prince himself rears its head once again and throws everything into chaos. Can Merlin protect his destiny, or is fate against him this time?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, all rights belong to their respective owners.**_  
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**Here comes another story. This starts off at 1x04, but then goes my own way. Please note that - Merlin isn't as strong as he was by the end of even that series. Nimueh beat him in 1x13 until his grief got too much, he can be defeated, he is not trained and things are still just instinct for him rather than the complexities of magic. I'm only saying this because I know I'll get people moaning as soon as he so much as breaks as nail claiming that his magic will stop that, and frankly, I'm fed up with. So please note I'm not going to make him invincible! That doesn't happen in the show so I'm not going to be writing it!**

**Sorry, just needed to make the point there! Hope that you enjoy this!**

_A high pitched wail filled the air and the King of Camelot found himself struggling against the magic holding him in place. He could see his trusted physician being restrained in a similar fashion, both men pinned against the wall whilst the sorceress stood in front of them. The last few days had aged them more than they could comprehend, and Uther knew this was not doing him any good. His eyes were locked on his newly born son, the infant screaming at the unknown arms in which he was being held in._

_"Let him go, Nimueh!" Uther growled, struggling against the hold even more as Arthur gave an odd hiccupping noise, exhausting himself with his cries. He had no idea of the battle going on around him, his very existence being in the centre of it all, but could sense enough of the atmosphere surrounding him that something was very wrong._

_"Right now?" The witch replied silkily, causing the baby to yell louder as his safe position was titled somewhat. Both Uther and Gaius yelled out in horror, and Nimueh once more drew the infant into her, hushing him and rocking him slightly as she did so. Arthur gave another hiccup, eyes screwed up and his face red._

"_You took my wife from me. Don't take my son as well." Uther was hoping to sound angry, intimidating almost, but the grief was still threatening to overwhelm him. He had lost everything over the last few days, for Arthur to be taken as well..._

"_She knew the consequences!" Nimueh snapped, automatically tightening her grip on the new prince. "I tried to warn you, tried to tell you what would happen. She was my friend, Uther. As were you. She wanted this child more than anything in the world, wanted to give you the one thing that you had always wanted. Ygraine knew what would happen. But you, Uther Pendragon, you have taken everything from me. You made me listen to my family's cries as you had them burnt at the stake. Ygraine was a tragic accident. This is deliberate... listen to your son scream, Pendragon! The way I heard my sisters scream!"_

_Nimueh tilted the baby again, but Arthur was too tired to do what she had hoped for. He didn't cry out again, but simply made yet another hiccupping noise, tears trickling down his cheeks and his thumb finding his mouth as his eyes slid shut, utterly exhausted. Something in Nimueh's expression softened at the sheer innocence lying in her arms, no idea what his birth had done. _

_"Leave him be." Gaius interrupted gently, seeing the way the witch's eyes had softened. "It's not the boy's fault, Nimueh. Just leave him be."_

_Nimueh looked like she was thinking about Gaius' words for a moment, staring at the prince in her arms. Arthur had unknowingly closed his free fist around the fabric of her dress, holding on as he drifted off to sleep. Then she shook her head, stumbling back a pace._

"_I have as much right to him as you do, Uther. I'm as responsible for his birth as you are. He's as good as my son as well."  
_

"_Arthur will never be yours! Leave my son out of this!"_

_"Like you left my family out of it?"_

_Gaius sighed at the arguing pair. Both had lost too much, everyone had over the last few days. The kingdom should be celebrating a future potentially free of war now the bloodline had been continued and the heir apparent. But instead it had been thrown into chaos, a war in which there seemed to be no end. Neither one of the proud pair in front of him would back down, not when they were hurting so badly. Gaius knew that if events were allowed to unfurl, another innocent life would be lost. And if Arthur was hurt, selfish as it sounded, this whole thing would be in vain._

_"Nimueh, please... he has lost his mother. Don't make him lose his family as well, don't raise him in the hatred you are feeling now. It will destroy everything, everything Arthur could be, everything he is destined for."_

"_And how would leaving him to be raised by Uther's hatred be any different?" The witch spat, but automatically rocked the infant as Arthur whined slightly in his sleep at the venom in her voice._

_"He won't be alone here." Gaius continued. He could see Uther watching him almost furiously, clearly wondering what the physician was doing, bargaining his son like that. But Gaius knew this was his only chance to get through to her. And once she had gone, Arthur could be protected. "You know he won't... he will be surrounded by people who will love him and help him grow. What would his mother have wanted for him? To be isolated, alone on some island, living his life in fear?"_

_Nimueh glanced once more at Arthur, deliberately ignoring the way Gaius had revealed just how much he knew about her. The man had a point though... Arthur was hers, she had a right to him far more than Uther did. But she could offer him no childhood. Her eyes flashed gold, and Uther's restraints were tightened even as Gaius was freed._

_She looked coldly up into Uther's eyes, locking gazes with him._

_"Before he becomes Crown Prince, I will take him." She threatened, before bending forward. A sweeping curtain of dark hair shielded her face from view as she kissed Arthur's forehead before handing him over to Gaius. Arthur whined again, but immediately relaxed, far more than he had ever been in the witch's arms. Somehow, he knew he was safe, and there was a small smile on his face as he nestled into Gaius's arms._

"_You have been warned." With a whirlwind, Nimueh disappeared, her threat echoing throughout the room._

"Arthur!" Sitting bolt upright, the king of Camelot fumbled for a moment until he had managed to light his candle, staring around the room with a heaving chest. Swallowing hard, Uther let the usual steely expression slip back into place as he calmed his breathing, reassuring himself that it was just a dream. Even though it had happened twenty years ago, he could still remember every word of that confrontation. He had been furious with Gaius initially, believing him to be responsible for her last threat and tripled the guard around his infant son.

But time had passed. Arthur had turned into an inquisitive child, then a head-strong and stubborn teenager. Now he was a proud young man, fast coming up to his coming of age. A few more months and Nimueh's threat would no longer haunt Uther's dreams. Arthur would be safe once and for all. And after twenty years of watching the boy closer than even Arthur realised, Uther knew that no witch would be able to get near to his son without hell being unleashed. Arthur was talented, but fair, something Uther had to admit came from Gaius' teachings rather than the King's. He would either talk her down, or defeat her. Nimueh wouldn't be able to touch him.

Climbing out of bed, a quick jerk of the curtains revealed that dawn was just beginning to break. Uther knew there would be no more sleep for him tonight, not with Bayard and his court arriving. It would be a signal of new times, and the king was already planning for a way for Arthur to take a more active lead in the discussions. It was only a few months before he would be made Crown Prince, it was time to extend his duties.

As the earliest rays of sun began to flicker through the gap in the drapes, Uther smiled as his gaze fell on something. A rough carving sat on one side of his bed, Arthur's crude attempts still making him smile even now. But down one side, there was a far more intricate pattern – Morgana's work. The pair of them had attempted to make it for him for a birthday when they were still children, only the year after Morgana had come to live with them. It had ended up being practically thrown at his head as the pair of them screamed at each other over it, but Uther's laugh had shocked them into silence. His fingers brushing lightly over the wood, the King smiled. If Arthur was in danger from a vengeful witch, he had no doubt that his ward would do her very best to protect the man she now considered to be like a brother to her. Smiling slightly at the irony, Uther turned away, poking the embers into life in the fireplace. He wasn't sure which would have Arthur more worried – knowing that an evil sorceress had put a claim on him, or the risk of confronting Morgana in a temper.

Hours later as he watched them glare at each other over their goblets at breakfast, Uther felt the last remnants of the dream leave him completely. There were people who would fight for Arthur, even from unlikely sources. His son's manservant, for example, had a look about him that made Uther realise despite the fact they had only been together for a couple of months, the lanky youth was not about to let anything happen to his master. Between the boy and Morgana, Arthur would have nothing to worry about.

Feeling far more positive, Uther listened to the two young royals squabbling like children as they discussed the etiquette of the upcoming feast. Once Bayard's visit was out of the way, Arthur's official crowning would be the next big event.

Nimueh's time had all but run out.

MMM

"You should see what he is making me wear!" Merlin's complaining voice entered Gaius' chambers long before the boy did, the annoyance lacing his tone and making the physician roll his eyes even as the door burst open and revealed the irritated youth. For most people, giving a position in the royal household, especially that close to the almost-Crown Prince of Camelot, would have been something of a great honour. For Merlin, however, it just seemed to be something of a great annoyance.

"Were you late again?" Gaius inquired mildly, wondering if the prince was simply getting his servant back for all of the things Merlin had been doing wrong over the last few months. Whilst Arthur may moan as much as his servant and pile more chores onto him as a punishment, Gaius knew the young prince was happier than he had been for a long time. No other servant had lasted more than a month before they had either quit or been fired. There was something about Merlin that was getting through to Arthur, undermining the barriers he had placed around his heart to stop anyone getting close. Unfortunately, Uther's own betrayal at Nimueh's hands seemed to have left the King with the impression that friends were not to be trusted. The lesson may have been lost on Morgana, but Gaius knew that, as with everything else the King said, Arthur had listened. He was just grateful that Merlin was too stubborn to let that stop him.

"No! I was perfectly on time, thank you very much. And I had got all my chores done yesterday for once, so he has nothing to moan about. Yet the prat still finds a way of making me look like a fool." Dumping the pile of laundry that he had been carrying in his arms onto one of the stools, Merlin missed Gaius' pointed look and turned to shut the door. As he did so, a stray sleeve had somehow wrapped around his leg, causing him to stumble as he moved and pull the whole lot straight back onto the floor again. Finally getting the door shut, Merlin raised his eyebrows in disbelief at the mess he had just created, almost as if he hadn't known it was happening.

"I don't think you need any help to look like a fool, Merlin." Gaius said softly, the corners of his mouth twitching as he watched the indignant expression flash across his ward's face. That coupled with Merlin's announcement to the serving girl that it was up to him to keep the castle running was certainly making Gaius' day more entertaining than it had been for a while. Merlin may have only been staying with him for a few months now, but the old physician wasn't sure how he had gone all these years without him. Arthur had been his entertainment when the prince was younger, especially considering his stubbornness, but as he had entered his teenage years, duties, training and - unfortunately – the desire to impress the nobles had taken him from Gaius' sight.

"And I'm sure it can't be that bad." Trying to sound sympathetic, Gaius couldn't deny his smile as Merlin looked at him in disbelief.

"It has feathers." The young warlock declared dramatically, deciding that now the laundry was on the floor anyway, he was going to take the seat. Throwing himself onto it, Gaius watched, his smile becoming more prominent as he did so. Life was never boring when Merlin was around, that was for sure.

"Ah."

"Exactly." The servant moaned, burying his head in his hands. As Gaius watched, he visibly relaxed, and the physician knew enough to know that Merlin was almost falling asleep where he was sitting. Despite constantly seeming to have lots of energy, Gaius knew that the boy was still adapting to life in Camelot, especially considering his numerous duties. This was the first event he had to help prepare for on top of everything else, and Gaius knew it was beginning to wear him out. Giving him a few moments to relax, the physician then lent across and gently prodded Merlin in the side.

"Come on now, you have things to do." He chided gently, not wanting to push the boy too far considering Arthur was apparently already doing that. As soon as Merlin had mentioned feathers, Gaius knew precisely which hat it was the prince was making him wear, and wasn't sure if it would cheer Merlin up or not to know that he was not the first servant to be forced into that particular garment. He didn't even know where Arthur had got it from, but the young prince certainly enjoyed making his servants wear it. Gaius couldn't help but wonder precisely how long the thing would last before spontaneously combusting; he was beginning to get to know Merlin rather well.

"Merlin?" As Merlin raised his head, Gaius frowned. He knew the boy was tired, but that didn't quite explain how dark the bags under his eyes were or the fact that he was clearly struggling to keep them open.

"Mm?"

"Are you alright?"

"Yep." Yawning, Merlin pushed himself into an upright position, his usual smile slipping back onto his face as he bent down, clearly intending to pick up the laundry and actually get on with his chores like he was supposed to be doing rather than half falling asleep over a work bench. Gaius, however, reached out a hand and closed it around Merlin's wrist, stopping him from going anywhere.

"How much sleep did you get last night?" Merlin opened his mouth, the innocent expression in place that Gaius had come to realise meant his ward was about to lie and he tightened his grip in warning. Merlin almost seemed to sag, sinking back down onto the stool and dragging his free hand through his already untidy hair.

"Not much," he admitted quietly, smiling softly as Gaius let go, but pulled his own stool around so that he was facing the boy, clearly prepared to listen. "My magic was acting weird last night."

"Define acting weird." Gaius prompted, not knowing what that was supposed to mean for Merlin. It wasn't as if he followed the usual rules when it came to magic. Despite all of his years, Gaius had never seen anything like what came naturally to the gangly youth sitting in his chambers.

"It's like, I don't know, like almost a warning. That something is going to happen."

"To you?"

"To Arthur." Merlin corrected, his previous attitude towards his master disappearing and a concerned frown taking its place instead. "I feel like I'm supposed to be protecting him from something, Gaius. Like something is going to happen at these talks that he is going to need me there for, I just don't know what and it's frustrating." Gaius grimaced sympathetically. He remembered the feelings of being helpless against a threat, having to watch those he cared about suffer and know that there was nothing he could do to help. Merlin, however, was powerful. The chances were that he was getting these feelings because there was something that he could do to help.

"Do you have any idea of what?" He asked gently, not wanting Merlin to think that he was being pushed, but Gaius immediately felt his mind snap into overdrive. He knew security would be tight at these talks, but would Merlin sense if something was going to be a physical threat to Arthur? Or only if it was going to be a magical threat? Gaius knew enough of Bayard to know that the man didn't have a magical hint in his body, but he would be travelling with a large party. Some of them could potentially have magic, it wasn't as if it was outlawed everywhere, and the physician knew enough about politics to know that not everyone would want this treaty to be signed.

Merlin shook his head, clearly frustrated but also thinking hard. Gaius stayed quiet as his ward's eyes almost seemed to go unfocused as he thought back onto what his magic had clearly been trying to tell him the night before. Suddenly, Merlin looked up, his expression startled.

"It's something, or someone, who is already here." He blurted out, sounding shocked. Gaius nodded encouragingly.

"How do you know?"

"The feelings returned after I had been speaking to Cara. It was someone in that corridor, I'm sure it was. Gaius, I've got to go, I'll see you at the feast!" Merlin clearly had an idea lodge itself in his head, and Gaius didn't even have the chance to say anything before the warlock was gone, the pile of laundry still sitting in the middle of the physician's chambers. Gaius shook his head almost fondly as he pushed himself to his feet, nudging the pile out of the centre of the room and heading towards the door himself. Merlin may have got an idea in his head about what he needed/wanted to do in order to unravel the mystery that was keeping him awake, but Gaius was determined to do some poking around himself. He was sure that Merlin was a bad influence on him, for never before had he gone sneaking around the castle the way he seemed to be doing of late. Then again, he had never had a ward with a destiny before.

There had been something about the girl Merlin had met in the corridor. Something that made Gaius feel like she was obscuring her appearance slightly with magic. Not a powerful enchantment, something so simple that Merlin probably didn't even sense it himself, especially considering how his eyes had been drifting and a blush rising to his cheeks. But Gaius had been able to sense that something was off about the girl, especially as she had kept all of her attention focused on the young warlock in front of her. Not that was anything unusual, having been around Arthur, Morgana and now Merlin, Gaius knew what the youth of the castle were like. But it had been more than that. It was as if she had been using Merlin as a reason not to turn and face Gaius in the slightest. He had seen the tension across the back of her shoulders, the way her upper body had almost been stiff even as she had let her hips sway seductively. But it wasn't the stiffness of someone who was afraid, but of someone who had something to hide.

Frowning, Gaius made his way to his chamber door. Maybe it was time that he did a little investigating of his own? That was the one thing he truly appreciated about being the Court Physician. People didn't tend to question him, no matter which part of the castle he was found lurking in. After all, everyone from the scullery maid to the King got sick on occasions, there was no reason why Gaius _shouldn't_ be there. And after such a long journey, surely it was only right he enquired after the health of the guests Camelot was housing at this moment in time?

Making his way swiftly and reasonably silently through the castle, Gaius was glad that he didn't run into his young ward again. Part of him was concerned that he wouldn't be the only one snooping around the guest quarters, and whilst Gaius might have an excuse to be in this part of the castle, but Merlin did not. Despite having been in Arthur's almost constant presence since he had arrived in Camelot, there were certain things that still hadn't lodged themselves in Merlin's head. The correct behaviour for a servant unfortunately being one of them.

Now that he was here, Gaius wasn't sure what he was looking for. Something that proved Merlin wasn't imagining things. Ever since the incident with Valiant, the old physician had found himself listening to the boy's instincts more and more, especially considering issues of magic. If something had woken Merlin up in the middle of the night and left him with the feeling that something was going to happen to Arthur, Gaius knew better than to ignore it. Uther wasn't the only one still dreading when Nimueh tried to make good on her promise, and the old man considered the prince to be like a son to him, despite the boy's faults. When it came to Arthur, Gaius would help Merlin protect him.

But as of yet, Gaius didn't know what he was supposed to be looking for. He was standing in the middle of a corridor, looking at the doors blocking his view to the chambers beyond and contemplating which one could potentially hold a threat to Arthur's life. If he had been hoping one of the doors would simply open for him and give him access to all the answers he was seeking, Gaius was severely disappointed.

But yet, there was something. Something that kept drawing his eye back to one door in particular. The physician couldn't say what it was that was troubling him, but he was sure there was something familiar, something niggling away at him. If he had to put a name to it, Gaius would have said that it was almost as if there was a type of magic calling to him, stirring his own dormant gift. It was not a feeling he had felt in a very long time, even with Merlin now around him on a day-to-day basis. This was stirring something old, something he hadn't felt since the beginning of the Purge. Whoever it was occupying this particular chamber had been around in those times as well, Gaius was sure of it. But why would someone with magic come back to Camelot if they knew full well what happened to those of that kind here?

Gaius swallowed hard as he realised the implications of what he was feeling. There was only one reason why someone would return to Camelot after all of these years – revenge. Judging from what Merlin had felt during the night and again in the corridor, the revenge was to be inflicted on Uther in a way far more painful than a physical blow. They were going after Arthur. Glancing around him, Gaius made sure the corridor was deserted before tentatively making his way over to the door. Merlin was definitely rubbing off on him if he was going to enter an unknown chamber without permission based on a feeling that he couldn't put his finger on. His hand was resting lightly on the door by this point, and feeling a stab of courage, Gaius pushed it open.

The room was neat and tidy, a small trunk standing at the end of the bed. Making sure he shut the door behind him, the physician crossed the room. The trunk seemed the most obvious place to start and lifting the lid, Gaius blinked in surprise. It was empty. Forcing his aged bones to straighten again, the man made to walk over to the small cupboard by the grand bed, wondering whether the occupant had already stored their belongings.

"Looking for me, Gaius?" The physician whirled around, the surprise doing nothing for his heart. There she was, that Cara that Merlin was talking to earlier. But there was no way that she could have known his name, unless... Squinting, Gaius peered at her. The woman stood by the now closed door, a self-satisfied smirk on her face as she watched the physician realise that she was blocking the way out.

"Who are..." Gaius' voice trailed off as he stared at her. The feeling of familiar magic, certain that she was altering her appearance in some way or another. Merlin's belief that whoever it was posing a threat to his destiny had been with them in that corridor.

"Nimueh."

"Hello, old friend." Nimueh stepped away from the door and moved fluidly across the room. Sweeping past Gaius, she perched on the edge of the bed, either not noticing or ignoring how much he had stiffened. If she was the woman he had once befriended, Gaius knew that she was just ignoring his discomfort.

"When Uther finds out..."

"Uther won't find out I'm here, Gaius." Her tone was cold and sharp, and with a sinking heart, Gaius was reminded of the last time he had come face to face with the sorceress.

"What makes you think that I'm going to keep your presence quiet?" The physician straightened up, lifting his chin tall and proud as he glared down at her. "After what you did, after what you threatened..."

"Merlin."

The one simple word had him snap his mouth shut and stare at her. Nimueh simply smirked coldly up at him, his reaction proving what she had witnessed through her scrying. It had come as something of a surprise, and an unwelcome one at that, to find out the youth that had stopped her from destroying Camelot before was staying with the old man. If their interaction was anything to go by, the lad had wormed his way into Gaius' heart.

"Leave the boy out of this."

"I will. But say anything to Uther about me being here, and all it will take is a whisper in the night and Merlin will be dragged before the King under accusations of sorcery. Do you really think Uther cares who he executes as long as he makes his point? The boy will be dead by dawn, you know this, Gaius."

"What do you want?" It had been years since Gaius had felt a rush of anger this strong, even longer since he had felt his dormant magic stirring, looking for a way to strike down the witch in front of him. Had Merlin really changed him that much he would go back on twenty years of promises after just a few months with the boy? Deep down, he knew the answer and felt the roof of his mouth go dry as Nimueh simply smiled sweetly at him.

"I think you know. I did make a promise, after all."

"Leave Arthur alone, Nimueh. He is a good man, he will make a fine King. He's not like his father, regardless of what people think. He has a pure heart, don't twist him now..."

"Gaius, you hurt me. I have no desire to twist him. But I swore to Uther that day that Arthur belongs to me. I still stand by that promise, and am fully aware that my time frame is almost up. I've let Uther think that he has won all these years by letting him keep his precious child. But how much more will it hurt now? I don't take a defenceless child from him, I take a strong warrior, a proud prince. And when Arthur returns – for he will return – Uther will see just how much of a mistake he made declaring war on sorcery. Arthur will be completely mine!"

The woman's voice had risen into a shout, and part of Gaius hoped that some passing guard would hear her. Hear enough to go to the king and warn him of the threat to the prince without Merlin ever having to know anything about it. But at the same time, he knew it was a foolish hope, that she wouldn't have waited twenty years to be stopped now by someone simply eavesdropping.

"Let him be, Nimueh."

"Keep out of it, Gaius. Unless you want Merlin executed."

"If you know about Merlin, then surely you know that Arthur is protected? He is the boy's destiny, something surely you can understand? Together they can do great things, do not interfere with that, not now." He knew he was pleading, but Gaius didn't care. Both boys had come to be like sons to him, even Merlin within just a few months. He didn't know who he needed to protect more.

"If you truly believe in their destiny, then you have nothing to worry about, do you?" Smiling at him, Nimueh stood up. "Now, I believe you have a banquet to prepare for?" Gaius barely even saw her move until the door was being held open for him. He knew that he had no choice but to leave, and it was with a heavy heart Gaius set off towards his chambers. What should he do?

He could protect Arthur, the Crown Prince and future King of Camelot and lose Merlin.

Or he could protect Merlin, the boy who had given an old man more happiness than Gaius thought would come to him, and risk losing Arthur.

**Review?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you so much for the lovely reviews and support, they really mean a lot.**

Merlin had moaned for the length of time it took to walk from Arthur's chambers to the Great Hall. In actual fact, he had been moaning long before they left the prince's rooms, and would have quite happily carried on moaning if Arthur hadn't shot him a sharp look and practically elbowed him in the side when the doors were opened for them. Thankfully, the warlock listened and had managed to shut his mouth before they had come face to face with the King – both kings in fact, for Bayard was there as well. The servant swiftly dropped his eyes and sidled off to the side. Arthur may want him there to make sure his cup didn't run dry, but as of yet, he didn't even have a cup in his hand. So surely that would mean Merlin would be allowed to stand with the other servants? The fact that he had his eyes peeled in case he saw Cara again was not something that was going to be said to Arthur, for he knew he would never hear the end of it.

He couldn't see the maid, but nevertheless, Merlin found he was enjoying himself. Once people had got over the shock of seeing him with what looked like half an eagle on his head and he had to put up with Gwen obviously trying not to laugh at his expense, he relaxed. Gwen was a sweet girl, and Merlin was glad of the first friend he had made since coming to Camelot. He wasn't sure Arthur counted, not any more. Not now he had been forced into his ridiculous outfit. He supposed he should have known better than to save a royal, what good was ever going to come out of something like that? Especially when Arthur smirked at him from across the room, his eyebrows raised in amusement at Merlin's expense. Merlin was also sure that it was something to do with the fact he couldn't retaliate in his normal manner considering who else was standing with Arthur. The prince may let him get away with more than his station allowed, but he had no doubt that the king would not.

Eventually though, the opening ceremony was coming to a close. Despite the initial relief at not having to be serving Arthur from the beginning, Merlin was glad when the royals began to take their respective seats. At least now he would have something to do. It had seemed like such a big thing that morning when Arthur had announced that Merlin was going to be at the feast. Then had come the dreaded outfit, Gaius' lack of sympathy and Arthur's expression when he saw Merlin dressed. But just to cap it all off, Merlin found that he was now nothing short of bored. Gwen was used to this kind of thing, her soft brown eyes were darting around the room, clearly taking in different aspects of the nobles scattered around the room. Merlin knew what her and Morgana's relationship was like, knew that she was no doubt gathering information to share with her mistress later.

Last time Merlin had tried to tell Arthur something about a noble; he had found himself in the stocks. Something told him there was still a way to go until he was at that type of a relationship with the prince. But whilst Gwen was preparing for an evening of laughter with Morgana, Merlin was playing with the cuff of his sleeve, shifting his weight slightly and pointedly ignoring the looks Gaius was shooting him from across the room. He knew his guardian wanted him to stand still, but that was something Merlin had never been good at. Why should he be the one to stand still when he could make everyone else do it instead with just a thought?

But then he suddenly did freeze, before a smile blossomed over his face. Gwen caught the look out of the corner of her eye and turned to look at him.

"What is it?" She asked softly, looking like she was going to lay a hand on his arm but then thought better of it. Bayard was droning on and on about peace and their kingdoms, beckoning a servant forward with a chest. As the servant had moved, Merlin finally caught a glance of Cara, and she almost immediately caught his eye, smiling shyly. He smiled back, and her head motioned to the side of the room. Everyone else was busy watching the presentation of some fine looking goblets to the king and Arthur. Merlin wasn't really paying attention though. He knew he would be well acquainted with that goblet by the end of the night, Arthur's previous words about making sure his cup never ran dry echoing in his ears.

"She's pretty. For a handmaiden, I mean." For all of his powers, Merlin was not the most observant when it came to girls. He didn't hear the slightly hurt note in Gwen's voice, or the way she seemed to take a step away from him ever so slightly as she spoke.

"She's pretty for a princess." He spoke without thinking; his eyes locked on the maid the other side of the room. Cara moved off to one side, clearly heading towards where she had indicated Merlin to go. He made to step forward, and then the doubt crept in, glancing sideways at Gwen. She looked upset, although Merlin had no idea why. But he didn't want to leave her if something was troubling his friend. Gwen made up his mind for him though, offering a small smile that didn't meet her eyes in the normal manner and moved fluidly over to stand behind Morgana's chair. Merlin frowned slightly as he saw Gaius give her a quizzical look and Gwen shrug it off, but then found his eyes wondering back to Cara. If Gwen was going to leave him on his own, he would simply have to find new people to talk to. Throwing the damn hat down, he started moving.

Moving slowly and carefully around the outside of the room, Merlin froze when he felt Arthur's gaze snap on him. How he knew it was the prince, he had no idea, but when he glanced at the royal, it came as no surprise when Arthur raised an eyebrow, clearly asking what Merlin thought he was doing. His servant simply shrugged and shot him a smile, causing his master to roll his eyes and glance away again. It wasn't as if Arthur could actually do anything to stop him, not without drawing the attention of everyone in the hall and the disapproval of his father in the process. And if there was one thing Merlin had learnt about the prince in their short few months together, it was that Arthur would do nothing to displease Uther, not if he could help it.

Eventually, after what felt like an age of trying to edge his way around nobles, Merlin reached the far corner of the room.

"Hi." He said softly, knowing that they had to keep their voices down or someone would hear them.

"You looked bored." Cara responded softly, her voice lined with sympathy as she laid a hand on his arm. "Arthur gets all the honour, but no one acknowledges who it is that really does the work." Merlin flushed slightly, thinking about the words he had said to her in the corridor and Gaius' mocking tone afterwards. He didn't know what to say, his mind almost going blank when he was around her. Part of him wanted to suspect magic that it was clouding his senses, but even Merlin wasn't that naive not to realise that he was attracted to her. If this was a spell, it was the same spell every man fell under at some point in their lives.

"Yeah, well..." He broke off, shrugging. He didn't really know what to say. Cara smiled again, before reaching behind her to a concealed ledge in the wall. Merlin heard himself gasp as she brought out two goblets.

"Our duties don't start until Bayard has stopped talking. And my master... well, he'll kill me for saying this," Merlin made a noise of protest, but she just waved a hand dismissively, "but he can talk for the whole of Albion."

That should have set off warning bells in Merlin's mind. He had never heard anyone other than the Dragon mention Albion, not even Gaius. But the cup had been pressed into his hand and Merlin was taking a sip before he had even thought about what he was doing. It was only as the first sip touched his lips that his magic began to tingle warningly. He had been feeling it stir ever since he had laid eyes on Cara again, but ignored it, pushing it aside for the chance to have some fun. But it was stronger now, beginning to throb insistently, demanding that its master listened to it and allowed it to roam free. Merlin shook his head with a frown, feeling a fuzziness enter his mind.

"Are you alright, Merlin?" The hand on his arm tightened, almost as if she had to hold him up. "You've gone very pale."

"I'm fine." The warlock murmured, trying to force his magic back down again. Sometimes, he was sure the damn thing _wanted_ to see him executed, the amount of times it seemed to bubble to the surface without him calling it.

"Perhaps you need a drink?" She continued; her hand moving. Merlin didn't really register what was going on until he felt Cara's hand over his, persuading him to lift the cup once more and take another drink. He made to protest, made to claim that he didn't want any, but as soon as he opened his mouth, she tipped the goblet, causing more of whatever was inside to trickle into his mouth. It was sweet and refreshing, and Merlin found himself swallowing instinctively.

It was almost as if the opposite effect took place from before. His head cleared, his magic calmed down again. He could still feel that it wasn't happy, almost feeling like a caged animal growling menacingly. But as long as it wasn't about to break free and roar its existence to the entire hall, then Merlin could deal with it.

"Better?" The sweet voice rang through his mind, as if it was the only thing he could hear and Merlin nodded dumbly. Cara's hand brushed across his face, and this time, the warlock stepped back. Something was wrong here. He didn't know what, but he knew that he had gone long enough ignoring the warnings his magic was giving him. As nice as Cara seemed, he knew it was something to do with her, that she wasn't quite what she seemed. He had learnt from Lady Helen that a pretty face didn't necessarily mean a kindly soul, and before he knew what he was doing, he had begun to walk away.

"Merlin?"

"My master needs me," Merlin responded, knowing that once he was within Arthur's reach, the prince wasn't going to let him go again, having him running around for the rest of the feast. For the first time since finding out what was expected of him at the feast, Merlin didn't mind. A maidservant would not be able to go against the Prince of Camelot in order to get his servant back at her side.

In reality, Merlin was heading for Gaius. He needed to talk to the physician, hope that the old man might be able to shed some light on what had just happened. He had never felt his magic react like that before, nor had he ever been persuaded to do something that easily. One trait Merlin certainly had in common with his master was sheer stubbornness, yet all Cara had to do was put her hand on his and he was drinking more, regardless of the fact he knew he didn't want to. Who was she? How could she make him react like that, make his _magic _react like that?

He never made it to Gaius though. Merlin should have known that walking behind Arthur's seat in order to reach his guardian would have been a bad idea. The prince didn't even turn from where he was supposedly listening to Bayard, but a hand shot out behind him, grabbing his servant by the bottom of his shirt. He pulled Merlin closer, the warlock almost crashing into the back of his chair as he tried to keep his balance at the same time.

"What?" Merlin hissed, annoyed. He twisted his head around, trying to search for Gaius and tell the physician that he needed to talk to him urgently. Gaius knew him well enough to know when Merlin was being serious, and when the warlock meant urgently, he meant it was something to do with magic. But Gaius was also watching Bayard, not having seen his ward's movements.

"Enjoying yourself, _Mer_lin?" Arthur breathed, barely moving his lips. His voice was quiet, so soft that Merlin knew Uther wouldn't have heard his son. His servant, however, heard every word.

"More than you, _Sire_." Merlin shot back. He wasn't going to admit to the approaching danger he could almost feel, but knew that Arthur would be suspicious if Merlin backed down too quickly.

"Good, then fetch me some wine. I have a new goblet to try out, after all."

"Fine." Merlin snapped with an eye roll to accompany his words. Arthur let go and Merlin straightened up, backing away a few paces to make sure he was melting into the background again before moving. The last thing he wanted to do was to trip over Uther's chair or something dramatic like that. He needed to talk to Gaius, not get himself landed in the stocks. But rather than taking a step in the direction he knew Arthur wanted him to go, Merlin went the other way. He could still talk to Gaius before Arthur would be able to yell at him, the speeches looked like they were going to go on for a while. If being able to tell Gaius that he knew something was wrong meant the night spent cleaning Arthur's armour, then it would be worth it. At least he wouldn't be feeling this alone any more.

Arthur, however, had other ideas. Even with facing forwards, he managed to see enough of Merlin's movement to know that his servant was not about to do as he was told. In a way, the prince had come to expect it. If he told Merlin to do one thing, the chances were that he would do the opposite. Why would this time be any different?

"_Merlin._" Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Merlin freeze, an annoyed expression flitting momentarily across his face as the servant realised he had been caught out. Merlin groaned, inwardly cursing Arthur and his knight reflexes as a subtle hand caught his belt, tugging him backwards again. How he managed it with no one noticing, Merlin had no idea. He wasn't sure if an arm should even bend to that angle, but couldn't think about it as he struggled to not trip over his own feet once again.

"Other way." This time, Merlin couldn't stop the huff of annoyance slipping past him as he turned and walked in the desired direction. It would seem that he wasn't going to be able to talk to Gaius until much later. His thoughts about Arthur not letting him go again were proving truer than he was happy with. Heading towards the desired wine, he let his eyes roam the hall, not being sure whether he should feel relieved or not that Cara was nowhere to be seen.

MMM

Whilst Merlin might have been on the lookout for "Cara", Nimueh was slipping from the hall, a satisfied smirk on her face. She knew the warlock was young, but for him to be that naive was just perfect. She had felt his magic reacting, felt it trying to warn him, and the boy had ignored it until it was too late. Her original plan had been to get Merlin killed, knowing that Arthur would have been a much easier target when he didn't have a destiny protecting him. But then she had changed her mind when she had bumped into the gangly servant in the corridor. Why kill him when she could allow him to live with the knowledge he had failed? Seeing the boy that destroyed would certainly bring back some memories for Gaius, and her revenge would be complete. Not to mention she knew that if she killed the boy, she had no way of stopping the physician from investigating what was going on. With Merlin alive, she could guarantee Gaius wouldn't interfere.

She knew Merlin was powerful; to cast the spell he had in order to destroy the Avanc at his age was something she had never witnessed before, even in the times when magic roamed free. But his magic was raw, untrained and untested. He may have the power, but he didn't have the subtlety. The drug she had slipped into his drink would deal with any attempts he tried to send her way in order to protect the prince. One spell, and he would be left a trembling wreck on the floor, his magic out of control. Nimueh knew she would have to move fast, the drug wouldn't last as long on him as others, his magic would already be beginning to combat the effects.

But she wasn't too worried. Arthur wouldn't be fighting back either, not with the strong sedative she had laced the goblet with. Bayard had just presented the Pendragons' their downfall in an intricately carved box. By the time master and servant made it back to Arthur's chambers, neither of them would be at their full capabilities, the potential that showed a glimpse of the future they could create together. Nimueh had no plans to destroy that future, she was just going to twist the way it came about. Arthur should have always been hers, and now she was going to get what she had promised Uther all those years ago.

All she had to do was wait. Nimueh didn't even need to be told which chambers belonged to the prince, but simply slipped inside with a wave of her hand seeing to the locks. Part of her scowled at the lack of protection surrounding the prince, did Uther really believe that a simply lock was going to keep a High Priestess out? There were no guards outside, no safety measures in place to stop her from being in here. As far as the King was concerned, his son was unprotected. Of course, Nimueh knew differently, knew about the warlock by Arthur's side, but something in her stirred unpleasantly. She had heard the rumours about Arthur's skill with a sword, and couldn't help but wonder whether Arthur was unprotected simply because he didn't need it, he was that good? Still, his skills would be no good against her when he returned to his rooms.

Nimueh didn't have to wait very long. She was sitting on the edge of Arthur's bed, gazing around her when her magic warned her of someone coming. More specifically, the two men she was waiting for. She could feel Merlin's magic, and smirked in satisfaction when she sensed the turmoil it was going through, struggling to repel her drug. Even she was surprised about how much he was succeeding, but her plan was still intact. The first spell he said would leave him a dizzy mess on the floor, and Arthur would be hers.

"...Filling your cup? If I knew this would be the consequences, I'd make you fill your own damn cup!" Merlin's moaning voice came through the door even as it opened and he backed into the room, Arthur's arm draped over his shoulders. The prince was leaning on him heavily, and what Merlin was mistaking for drunkenness, Nimueh knew meant her sedative was working.

Merlin slowly turned around, and the witch smirked to see how pale he was looking. The warlock gasped, almost dropping the prince in the process.

"Cara? What are you doing here?" He barked, and she was impressed to hear an underlying confidence in his tone that betrayed that he wasn't about to let her do anything to hurt the prince. Arthur lifted bleary eyes towards her, wincing as he did so and let his hand drift to his sword.

"I'm only coming to take what is mine." Nimueh responded silkily, standing up from the bed in one fluid motion and crossing the room until she was standing in front of the prince. "And that is you, little prince." So saying, she ran a finger down Arthur's cheek and he jerked back. It was both him flinching away and Merlin pulling him back at the same time.

"You'll take no one." Arthur spat, and once again, the witch wondered if she had underestimated the pair of them. Arthur was more drugged than he knew, yet was still managing to sound defiant, protective. She hated to admit it, but he did sound like his father.

"And what makes you think you can stop me?" She responded smoothly, stepping backwards away from the pair and creating a distance between them. Merlin heard the challenge in her voice even as Arthur did, and he immediately tightened his grip on the prince as Arthur made to step forward.

"Don't!" He hissed, trying to pull Arthur back towards him. But even drugged, Arthur was stronger.

"Let go, Merlin." Pulling away fiercely, Merlin had no choice but to relinquish his grip even as Arthur stepped forward. His hand drifted to the sword hanging from his belt, his fingers closing with a practised ease around the handle. Nimueh took another step back, goading him into walking forward. Unfortunately, Arthur did just that.

He had just made to pull his sword out when he swayed. Without Merlin's support, the full power of the sedative crashed down on him. One hand shakily reached out to the bed, trying to find support as Merlin stepped forward. But he wasn't quick enough before Arthur suddenly crumbled to the floor. The prince tried a few times to raise himself, but his shaking arms wouldn't support his weight and after the third attempt, he fell still. His head twisted slightly, turning towards his servant. Nimueh knew that she was not the only one who saw the ill-conceived flicker of fear in his eyes before they slid shut and Arthur slumped back again. This time, he didn't move.

"He's not drunk, is he?" Merlin said quietly, his eyes locked on the collapsed form of his master. Very slowly, his eyes moved from Arthur up to Nimueh, and she felt a thrill of excitement go through her at the look in his eyes. She was about to encounter the warlock, and knew that she would be the victor. Smirking, she shook her head and Merlin's hand shot up.

"I'm not going to let you hurt him." This was what she had been waiting for, and Nimueh immediately closed the gap between them, her own hand rising and closing around his wrist in a vice like grip. Merlin gasped slightly, immediately beginning to struggle against her, but she simply pulled him closer, holding him still.

"How are you going to stop me, Merlin? Not with that little secret you've been hiding from your master, surely?" His eyes widened in astonishment, darting back down to Arthur before meeting her gaze defiantly.

"You don't want to mess with me." He said quietly, but Nimueh could hear the hesitation in his voice. She remembered what it was like at his age, so much power at her disposal, there was nothing she could not do. And that had frightened her, knowing she had to rein it in somehow. Little did Merlin know she had already taken the liberty of stopping him from destroying someone with his magic.

"Don't I? Come on, Merlin, stop me. I'm taking your destiny from you-," she ignored the way he looked somewhat startled at her knowledge -, "surely there must be something you want to do to stop me?"

Merlin sighed heavily, looking sad for a moment. "I don't want to do this," he muttered, before his eyes suddenly flashed. Nimueh didn't even have time to show her astonishment at the fact he had used no words before she found herself thrown across the room. Startled, she hurriedly pushed herself back to her feet, using magic to keep everything steady as she turned back to face him. The drug should have stopped him from doing that, turned his own power back on him the second he had unleashed it.

By the time her eyes found Merlin, he was on his hands and knees, clearly trying to keep himself upright. The drug had worked as she had predicted, but he had been stronger than she realised. The drug had turned his power back on him, but Merlin had managed to release some of it first. Slowly walking over to him, she stood over the warlock for a moment, before letting her foot rest on his back and pushing him down until he was flat out on the floor. A muttered spell caused him to flip, lying on his back and staring up at her, trembles wracking his body.

"I knew precisely who I was messing with, Emrys." She whispered softly, bending down next to him and brushing his hair back from his forehead. "You just didn't know who you were messing with."

"What have you done?" His voice was rough, almost rasping and Nimueh knew his blood would feel like it was burning as his magic bucked wildly against the restraints she had placed on it. Gold kept leaking into his eyes for a split second before vanishing again, and Nimueh knew she didn't have long until he would be fully back in control. Maybe after Arthur was hers, she would return for his warlock? Having control over Merlin, over that much magic, would mean that she could take Camelot, have everything that had once been promised to her.

"I told you, I'm taking what is mine. Arthur belongs to me, Uther knew this was coming. Admittedly it took longer than I planned, and might take some persuasion for him to accept his place, but the prince will become a servant to magic. Isn't that what you want, Merlin? He would be able to see you for who you really are, he would drop to his knees and bow his head as you walked by."

"No, no..." Merlin moaned, shaking his head and wincing as his vision swum somewhat alarmingly. "Arthur's going to be king, the best king... leave him alone..." The boy's voice was getting weaker now, and Nimueh knew it was time to put her last piece of the plan into action. After all, what good was taking Uther's son if the King didn't know about it? She wanted him to feel every second of Arthur's absence, not wait until morning to find out anything had happened. She stood over the warlock, raising her hand over his shaking body.

"_Weorc untoworpenlic,"_ She hissed and Merlin immediately tried to move away. But his hands were pulled above his head, manacles forming out of nowhere and chaining them together before chaining him to the table, his feet also bound.

"What are you doing?" He yelled, struggling physically after one quick attempt at magic left his head reeling and his body burning. "Let me go!"

"Hush, Merlin, you'll be quite safe." Nimueh scolded softly, moving away and using magic to help her lift Arthur's dead weight. Merlin bucked, fighting desperately when he saw his master in her arms.

"Leave him alone!"

"Never. Now, for my final act..." Her eyes burned brightly as she chanted. Even as she disappeared from Camelot, Merlin's screams ringing in her ears, she knew that the guards would be hurrying towards the prince's chambers, wondering what was happening within. If there was one thing that wouldn't go unnoticed in Camelot, it would be screams of pain coming from the prince's chambers. Merlin would be fine, the spell hurt now, but had no lasting effects. If she was honest, it had been a spur of the moment decision. Gaius had betrayed her, siding with Uther when he had convinced her to leave Arthur all those years ago. She could have lost everything, could have been so easily defeated now the baby was a man. Hurting the physician's ward was just one last warning to him to remind him what happened when he meddled with things that were nothing to do with him.

She had what she wanted now though, Arthur was finally hers. And Uther would finally suffer the way she had, alone for all of these years, knowing he had lost everything. He may believe that he had lost everything to magic, but he didn't know his nemesis felt the same way. As a result of her magic, so many people had suffered, all so the prince could live.

But now, however, she planned to change that. With Arthur hers, she would use magic to get everything back she had lost. And destroying Uther Pendragon was just an added bonus.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you so much for the fantastic support once again, it means a lot.**

Gaius strode with purposeful steps down the corridor, trying to deny that he was worried. It was nothing unusual that Arthur had left the feast before some of the stragglers, and Gaius had seen the way he almost seemed to have trouble keeping his eyes open. He knew how hard the prince had worked to make sure that he was ready to take on the responsibility that his father was pressing upon him, and that coupled with the late hour was clearly taking its toll, even if Arthur would never admit it out loud. But Gaius had felt a flash of concern when he saw Arthur collar Merlin, dragging his servant out with him. Merlin's face was pale, and although his eyes were shining with mirth as Arthur stumbled slightly – clearly believing his master had had a little too much to drink – they were lacking the normal sparkle that Gaius had come to associate with his ward.

Something was wrong. When the physician realised that Nimueh was also nowhere to be seen, he had quickly excused himself from the hall and set off after the two young men, adamant that he was going to put his mind at ease before retiring for the night. But when he saw there were no guards present in the hallway leading to Arthur's chambers, Gaius felt his step falter momentarily. It only took him a few more steps before he could hear pained gasps coming from the room. Calling for help, he moved as quickly as he could, thankful that someone had been in earshot considering he could hear the clank of boots behind him even as he pushed open the door.

"Merlin!" Gaius didn't think he had ever moved so fast. Merlin was stretched out on his back on the floor, hands chained to the table above his head and ankles also chained together, his body twisting as he clearly tried to escape from something.

"A'tur..." He mumbled, nearly incoherently as tear-blurred eyes turned to face Gaius, his back arching as he let out another gasp of pain.

"Get the King." Gaius ordered the guard who had followed him, dropping to his knees and reaching out for the manacles holding Merlin down. As soon as he touched one, he dropped his hand in shock, staring at the slightly red skin where it had burned him. He felt his breath catch in his throat, knowing only a powerful enchantment could make the manacles that painful. Brushing Merlin's hair back from his forehead, he peered into the boy's eyes, his heart clenching at the agony he felt there.

"G'us... magic... can't use it, she did something..."

"Shh, Merlin, just lie still now. Stop moving, you'll make your wrists worse.."

"A'tur... have... Gauis, I have to go after him..." Gaius pushed his hand down on Merlin's shoulder as the young warlock tried to rise, only to fall back with a cry as the manacles held him down.

"What is going on?" Uther's demanding voice signalled his arrival before the guard even had time to announce him and Gaius turned, still holding down Merlin as he did so.

"The prince has been taken, My Lord. Is that right, Merlin?"

"Have to go...stop her...Arthur...Gaius, can't..."

"Merlin, shh." Gaius reached up to the table, finding a piece of cloth there and carefully wrapped it around his hands. Protected as well as he could be, he prised open the manacles and unbound Merlin's feet. There was a sharp intake of breath as the two men looked at the raw and blistered skin around Merlin's wrists. But even though he was free, Merlin curled up on himself, whimpering as he did so. Gaius felt his heart drop. Why did he get the feeling the manacles were not the only thing Nimueh had done to make sure Merlin didn't follow her? If she had managed to stop the warlock's magic as Merlin had mumbled, he would have been defenceless.

"Merlin, look at me?"

"What is going on!" Uther thundered, moving across the room and grabbing Merlin by the front of his shirt, bodily lifting the boy from the floor for a split second. "Where is my son?"

"Tried...tried to stop her..." Merlin mumbled, almost sounding feverish as his eyes flickered, clearly trying to cling onto consciousness. Something caught Gaius' eye though.

"Sire, let the boy go, can't you see she's hurt him?" His worry for Merlin meant Gaius was prepared to overstep his normal boundaries when it came to Uther. Sliding one hand behind Merlin's back, he prised open Uther's fingers, supporting his ward's weight as Merlin all but collapsed onto him. Cushioning him as comfortably as he could, Gaius slowly drew back his sleeve, making sure he didn't touch Merlin's wrist as he did so. There was a strange pattern on Merlin's arm, and the physician felt a wave of fury flash through him.

"You, guard. Go to my chambers and fetch me my medicine bag. Hurry, man."

"I've seen this mark before..." Uther mused thoughtfully, crouching down next to them, his hand hovering over the mark. Merlin whimpered and flinched back, losing his grip on reality as the seconds slid by. Gaius knew it would only be moments until he was out cold.

"You have, Sire. Do you remember the hex that the witch cast on you during the war with Mercia, before Arthur was even born?"

"That was hard to forget." Uther said slowly, something akin to respect shining in his eyes as he looked down at his son's manservant. Gaius nodded sagely, glad for once that Uther's negative experience with magic would mean that he wouldn't try and push Merlin too hard. After all, when the King had been hit with this same curse, he had screamed himself into unconsciousness. Merlin had suffered that and the manacles, and was still somehow making sense. But still, it came as a surprise when the King rested a hand on Merlin's shoulder.

"Marvin..."

"Merlin."

"...I need you to tell me what happened. Where's Arthur?" Merlin somehow managed to force his eyes open, and Gaius was just thankful that he seemed lucid enough to not accidentally mention his magic in front of the one person who would kill him here and now for it, regardless of what else was happening.

"Cara. She was here... she had done something to Arthur, he just collapsed and she took him... Gaius, she took him! I tried to stop her, I tried, I really did... but she..."

"Calm, Merlin, keep calm." Gaius subtly removed Uther's hand, knowing that it was doing nothing to keep Merlin calm. The guard came back in at the same time and Gaius nodded his thanks as he took the medicine pouch from him, rummaging inside for something.

Uther had stood up again, pacing the room and occasionally sending Merlin glances out of the corner of his eye. Considering the blistered skin encircling his wrists and the marks up his arms that would only fade when the power of the hex did, even Uther couldn't deny that Merlin had no way of being able to stop the witch.

"Gaius, she had magic. She said Arthur was hers..." Merlin whispered, twisting his head on the floor to look at his mentor. Gaius knew what Merlin was getting at, this was the threat that had kept him awake the night before. But Uther froze.

"Arthur was hers?" Fear filled eyes glanced at Gaius. "Nimueh."

"It must be, My Lord." Gaius muttered distractedly, not wanting to admit that he knew the witch had already been in Camelot.

"But why put such a strong hex on the boy? The manacles alone would have been enough to stop him from going after them, it's not like he even had a chance to stop her. Especially considering the effect the chains had on him." Merlin was almost forgotten about as Gaius slowly looked his king in the eye.

"You weren't the only one she felt betrayed her." He said slowly, and Uther's eyes softened. He repeated his earlier actions and clasped his old friend on the shoulder.

"Do what you can for the boy." He swept from the room as he did so, leaving Merlin staring after him. Gaius was thankful to see the marks on his arms were beginning to fade, meaning the agony crashing through him would also begin to subside. Uther had understood what Gaius had been trying to say. Merlin hadn't only been hurt for trying to stop Nimueh and protect his master. He had been hurt as a punishment for Gaius siding with Uther all of these years.

"Gaius?" Merlin's trembling voice caused the physician to finally find what he was looking for in his bag and he slowly navigated himself back down to his knees, ignoring the way his joints were protesting that very movement. He was getting to old for this.

"It's alright, my boy." He said softly, sliding a hand behind Merlin's head and titling it up slightly. "We'll find him. Right now, you need to drink this..."

"No. Need to get out there after him..." Merlin was already trying to push himself upwards. If it wasn't for his injured wrists, he might have succeeded. But as soon as he put his weight on his wrists, he fell back again with a moan. Gaius replaced the hand on his shoulder, keeping him down.

"It will just get rid of the pain, Merlin, then you can go after him." Merlin seemed to give in slightly, letting the physician pour the draught down his throat even as he coughed slightly at the taste.

"Gaius..."

"Give it a moment." They both just sat there in silence for a long moment before Merlin suddenly slumped against the physician. In an uncharacteristic display of affection, Gaius combed his fingers through Merlin's hair.

"I'm sorry, Merlin."

"For wha'?" Merlin slurred, trying to sit back up again but finding that his limbs no longer responded to him. He twisted his head until he could shoot Gaius a hurt look but could do no more as his eyes slid shut, the sleeping draught taking effect.

"For everything," Gaius murmured, motioning to the guard again. "Do you think you can help me get him back to my chambers?" The man nodded, gently scooping Merlin up of the floor as if he was nothing more than a child rather than a grown man. Gaius sighed heavily. He knew it was Nimueh's fault that his ward was suffering and that Arthur was missing. But somehow, hearing Merlin's whimpers still ringing in his ears, the old man felt a flash of guilt.

Slowly climbing to his feet, Gaius felt his heart sink as he glanced out of the window. Arthur was out there somewhere with an exceedingly powerful witch who wanted his father to suffer. Merlin had been defeated by her, Uther was no doubt about to fly into an epic temper when it quite dawned on him that the prince wasn't about to just coming waltzing back through the door after defeating Nimueh, and there was nothing he could do about it. He could only hope that he could make Merlin listen to reason when the boy awoke and stop him from going on a fruitless search for his master.

Making his way towards his chambers as quickly as he could, Gaius didn't think that was going to happen, somehow. It was the reason why he had drugged the boy. His body needed time to recuperate after such a vicious hex, and Gaius knew that given the chance, Merlin would have been saddling a horse the second Gaius had released him from the manacles. Once the warlock awoke, things would be different, but right now, Gaius had wounds to dress.

In a way, as he dipped a long bandage in a cooling solution and began to wind it around Merlin's burnt wrists, he was glad. This he would help with. He knew how to do this, he could help Merlin. Give him a wound and he could dress it. Give him a missing prince, a vengeful witch and a prophesied warlock, and he was way out of his depth.

"What have you got yourself into this time, my boy?" He asks Merlin's still body, watching his ward breath steadily. Something stirred in Gaius' gut and he leant forward, adjusting the blanket covering his ward. Whilst Merlin breathed, Arthur still had a chance.

MMM

His eyes forced themselves open the smallest of cracks, Arthur having to fight against his body to make them do even that. He was curled up, shivering in the cold. He could tell that he was in some sort of cave somewhere, but where was another matter entirely. Very slowly, he managed to force his head off the ground, but could only hold it there for a split second before he collapsed back down again. His limbs felt heavy, he couldn't so much as lift his hand, let alone use it to hold his sword. Arthur groaned. The sword, he now realised, that was definitely not with him.

The prince coughed slightly, trying once more to look around him. It was definitely some sort of cave, or perhaps a ruin at a stretch. Damp and cold, he knew in that one look around that no one would be able to find him. There was a feeling in the air, one he couldn't place but found that it was sending goose-bumps up and down his arms. Hugging them closer to himself, Arthur didn't try and move again, but let his mind wonder.

What had happened? He remembered not feeling too good towards the end of the feast, an exhausted heaviness in his limbs that he had never truly experienced before. He remembered dragging Merlin out, determined to just go to bed before he made a fool of himself in front of the kings. Everything went hazy after that, he vaguely remembered someone being in his room, then just snatches of Merlin trying to sound threatening...

Merlin!

Arthur forced himself up right again, managing to hold the position for a few moments before his shaking arms gave out and he ended up on his side again. Merlin was nowhere to be seen. Did that mean the boy had just been left behind, or had something else happened to him? Arthur growled softly, hoping nothing had happened to the loyal fool.

"So the prince awakens." The voice came out of the darkness, and Arthur shot up again. This time, he ignored his body's violent protests to the movement and forced himself to at least stay sitting. Pressing his palms to the floor, he balanced himself as he looked around for the voice.

"Who are you?" He tried to call, but it came out as more of a croak, causing him to start coughing once more to try and clear his throat. Now he was glad of the darkness, hoping that the owner of the voice wouldn't see his flush in the dim light. He hated sounding or appearing vulnerable, something he had strived never to do since he was old enough to hold a sword.

"I'm an old friend of your father's, little prince. You could say he knew this was coming." Something in the tone of her voice made Arthur automatically tense. There was only one reason people tended to go after his father, and that was regarding magic. Put him against another knight, and Arthur was more than confident about who would walk away the victor. Put him against magic, however, and the prince knew he really didn't have much of a chance.

"What did you do to my manservant?" He had to admit that he was proud of how strong his voice came out as he spoke, but Arthur couldn't deny that he flinched back as a woman stepped from the shadows. She was dressed in a deep red dress that looked like it had seen better days, a blue cloak wrapped around her shoulders. But it was her expression that made Arthur shudder despite himself, the way she stared at him as if she was some kind of predator. And the prince was her prey.

"None of your concern, little prince." She was in front of him before Arthur could react, bending down and stroking a finger down his face. "You do look like your mother."

Arthur's breath hitched slightly, but he refused to rise to the bait. Instead, he brought his hand swinging up and caught her by the wrist, holding on tightly as he forced it away from his face. She let out a small gasp, but then began to laugh.

"The fledging has learnt how to fly." She mocked, but Arthur held on tightly, forcing her away and standing up. His legs threatened to give way and his vision swam slightly, but he refused to back down.

"Where am I? Answer me! What do you want from me?"

"Oh little prince. I want nothing from you. Just having you here is enough." Arthur frowned, totally confused. But before he could do anything, the woman's eyes flashed in the dark and he winced as he was thrown backwards from her. His back hit the cave wall behind him and his hands were pulled to his sides, pressed against the cold stone. Trying to move, Arthur realised that she was somehow pinning him in place.

"Whatever you're planning won't work. The Knights of Camelot will find me."

"No they won't."

"Merlin will find me." Arthur didn't even register what he was saying, but he did see the smirk emerge on her face at his struggles against the spell. "You'll pay for this!"

"Looks like his mother but sounds like his father. Such a shame." Arthur fought against the spell holding him in place, trying to suppress the growing fear as she walked towards him, pulling a small phial out of the folds of her cloak and coming to a stop right in front of him. Neither of them said anything for a moment, both watching as Arthur attempted to pull his hand away from the wall.

"What do you want?" Unlike before, Arthur's voice suddenly wasn't sounding so certain, and Nimueh smiled at him, stroking his hair back from his face before titling his chin up. Arthur had no choice but to let her move him, although he did clamp his mouth shut when she raised the bottle.

"Now, now, Arthur." She chided gently, pressing on his jaw with a whispered word of magic and forcing his mouth open. "Did Gaius never teach you to take your medicine like a good boy?"

Arthur tried to wrench his head away, tried to do something as she poured the liquid into his mouth. Her free hand ran lightly down his throat, and Arthur automatically swallowed.

"There's a good prince." She released the spell on him and Arthur went crashing down to the floor. He shakily tried to raise himself to his hands and knees, wondering what on earth she had given him considering he couldn't seem to feel any effects. Nimueh crouched down beside him and let her hand rest on his back. All she had to do was whisper a word and Arthur collapsed back down onto his stomach once more.

"What do you want?"

"All in good time, Arthur." Nimueh whispered, her eyes flashing and Arthur immediately slumped where he lay. She sighed as she straightened up. This boy belonged to her. She would prove to Uther once and for all what a mistake he made when he turned against the magic he had invited into his home. And the stubborn young man at her feet was key to that.

But as she turned and left the cave in a swish of her cloak, knowing the prince would be going nowhere for a while, Nimueh frowned slightly. It would have been easier to take her revenge if Arthur wasn't fighting her every step of the way.

MMM

"Gaius?" The old physician looked up sharply, his face softening into a smile when he caught sight of Merlin. He was coming slowly down the stairs, an old blanket wrapped around his shoulders and the tops of the bandages poking out of his sleeves. His face was pale, but his eyes looked clearer.

"How are you feeling, Merlin?" The warlock shrugged, a small smile on his face that by no means met his eyes. Gaius returned the smile sympathetically, knowing it was a foolish question.

"How is your magic? What did she do?"

It's back, I think." This time, the smile was far more genuine and Gaius found that he let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. Merlin had never followed the normal rules when it came to magic, and Gaius knew if the boy was to ask for any advice or how to get the magic back, the physician wouldn't have the answers. Merlin was certainly a mystery that he hadn't encountered before.

"I bumped into her at the feast, Gaius, she offered me a drink. I knew I didn't want to drink it, yet found that I was doing so before I could stop myself, I don't know why. I guess she got me the same way that she took down Arthur. She drugged it. The magic is a bit erratic; don't go into my room for a while, the smoke needs to clear. But it feels like it is back. Has there been any news on Arthur?" The smiles slipped from both of their faces as Gaius pushed over a stool, encouraging Merlin to sit down. Now the sedative had worn off, he wasn't sure if the pain relief would be as effective, and the last thing he wanted his ward to do was wear himself out. He already felt like he had failed in protecting the boy considering the state they had found him in, Gaius was not about to let anything else happen to him.

"Uther has summoned the Knights, they are riding out at dawn tomorrow. The talks with Bayard have been suspended, and I know Uther is blaming him for bringing Nimueh here."

"But she tricked us all, he can't blame Bayard, it would lead to..." Merlin suddenly froze at the way Gaius was nodding. "It would lead to war." He finished lamely, eyes downcast as he fiddled with the corner of the blanket. "That's what she wants, isn't it? To completely destroy Uther?"

"Merlin, this fight has been going on since before you were born. Yes, Nimueh wants to destroy Uther. She is not the only one, you've seen yourself in the short months that you have been here what his attitude to magic is like, how many people he has wronged..."

"But why Arthur?" Merlin pressed, looking up again and staring at Gaius intently. "She was here, no one knew. If she hadn't have come for Arthur, I probably wouldn't have got the sense that something was wrong. I wouldn't have even realised at the feast that my magic was trying to warn me of something. Why didn't she just kill Uther?"

"Things aren't necessarily that straightforward, my boy."

"Gaius?"

"Yes, Merlin?"

"What did she mean about Arthur being hers? I saw the look in her eye when she said it, she truly believed what she was saying, it wasn't just some random threat. She thinks she has a right to Arthur, doesn't she?"

"Merlin, you trust me, don't you?" Gaius' voice was heavy as he made himself look his ward in the eye. Merlin nodded, a frown appearing as he scooted forward on his stool, clearly trying to brace himself for whatever it was that his mentor was about to say. "Then trust me when I say some secrets are better left at that, a secret."

"But..."

"I will not lie to you, Merlin. But this isn't my secret to tell. Not even Arthur knows it and he is involved. Please, do not ask me."

Merlin opened his mouth, looking like he was about to ask the very thing that Gaius had just asked him not to. The boy hadn't been in Camelot long enough to be told the true circumstances of Arthur's birth. Whilst he and the prince might have been heading towards a friendship greater than time had seen, Gaius knew it was not there yet. He wasn't sure how Merlin would react to finding out Uther had once used magic himself, and he didn't want to risk everything. Merlin seemed to read the expression on his face and closed his mouth again, sighing as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Where do I start?"

"What?"

"Arthur, Gaius. She took him from Camelot with magic, they could be anywhere. Do you really think the Knights will be able to find him if she believes that Arthur is hers? I don't know what is going on, but it is clear she has been planning this for years. She's not just going to leave him for the knights to find, and her magic is powerful. I'm the only one with a chance."

"I don't see how you can help..." Gaius replied with a pointed look at Merlin's wrists. The warlock followed his gaze, swallowing hard as he picked at the edge of the bandage. It still hurt, but Gaius' cooling solution was working wonders.

"I'm going, Gaius. You can either tell me where to start looking, or expect me to be gone for a very long time." Despite Merlin's words, Gaius had to smile. He should have known that just because the boy had been defeated once didn't mean that he was about to sit back and let Arthur be taken without putting up a fight. The wheels of destiny had begun to turn, and it was going to take more than a vengeful witch to stop this warlock.

With a sigh, he motioned for Merlin to join him on his side of the table and explaining all he knew about Nimueh, pulling down various books and maps as he did so. It had been over twenty years since he had last seen the witch, there were numerous places he could think of straight away that she might be hiding. Or she could be somewhere completely different, Gaius had no idea. But he trusted Merlin, knew that if anyone would be able to find the missing prince, it would be him.

It was early afternoon by the time Gaius ran out of information to tell Merlin. Arthur had been taken some time in the night, Gaius' sleeping draught keeping Merlin asleep until just after dawn. But the boy clearly thought he had been sitting around for too long, and as Gaius shut the last book with a sigh, Merlin stood up.

"Wait..." Merlin turned to look at him expectedly and Gaius sighed, running his eyes critically over his ward. "You look awful, Merlin."

The warlock gave a short laugh. "I can't say I feel much better. That spell, Gaius, I've never felt anything like it. She almost sounded like she was sorry for what she had to do to me, I can't explain it."

"She knows of your destiny, Merlin."

"Then why is she trying to stop it?" Merlin yelled, his magic causing a candle to flare up for a moment before the gold tinge left his eyes. Gaius didn't say anything. He didn't know what Nimueh had given Merlin to make his magic play up and the last thing he wanted to do was scold the boy.

"Sorry." Slumping back in his seat for a moment, Merlin dragged a hand through his hair, feeling slightly guilty that he had lashed out like that. The magic was back, of that he was sure. But he could still feel the last remains of whatever it was she had slipped into his drink. It was back, but not quite under his control.

"Get some rest, Merlin. You can leave in the morning."

"But she could have taken him anywhere by then!"

"She could have taken him anywhere the second they left Camelot. A few extra hours won't make a difference to Arthur. But it will give your magic time to calm down, your wrists a few hours longer to heal. And you already look dead on your feet. You won't even make it past the guard on the main gate in this state." Merlin sighed, looking defeated as he softly nodded, standing up once more.

"I'll get some sleep then." Dragging his feet, Merlin made his way up the stairs without a backwards glance. Gaius sighed, turning back to what he was doing before the boy had come down. He soon became engrossed in his task, not realising that Merlin's bedroom door hadn't shut properly and the warlock was watching him.

Within just a few moments, Merlin had packed everything that he thought he would need and was sitting on his bed, skimming through his spell book. He was trying to find something, _anything,_ that would give him a chance of even getting close to Arthur.

But his concentration was split. Gaius hadn't yet learnt that Merlin didn't simply back down when he was told. He had gone up the stairs with another agenda in mind. The moment the physician left the room, or turned in himself, Merlin was gone. He was not going to simply sit and wait for morning like a good servant would before going to find Arthur. It would be even harder then, for he knew that was when the Knights would also be leaving and knowing his luck, it would mean that he ran into them the second he stepped foot in the forest. Part of him realised that was what Gaius wanted, he wanted the warlock to be escorted back, for it would mean that he wouldn't be thinking of going up against Nimueh.

Merlin may have seen enough of the Knights since being here to know that they were good, but as he sat waiting for Gaius' concentration to slip, he knew they were not good enough.

He was Arthur's only chance.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you so much for the lovely reviews/support once again, it means a lot.**

It was dark in the cave when Arthur opened his eyes again. His head was pounding and feeling heavy, but that didn't stop the prince from shakily pushing himself up into a sitting position. Almost immediately, he had to lean back on the wall, the cold and rough stone helping him to ground his drifting mind. He had no idea if he was feeling so disorientated because of whatever it was she had forced him to swallow or the spell. He could barely even remember her uttering a spell, but there was no way he would have just fallen asleep in a cave whilst being held against his will. She must have done something – whoever she was. Arthur only now realised with a slight shudder he didn't even have a name. He seemed to remember Merlin calling her "Cara" but his mind had been so fuzzy then as well, he couldn't be certain. Either way, if Merlin had indeed been given a name, Arthur highly doubted it had been the right one.

Breathing in deeply through his nose to try and clear his head, Arthur let his eyes roam the cave for a moment, attempting to focus. As his eyes adjusted to the gloom, Arthur shivered slightly, realising that it was damp and chilly within. There was no way he was just going to sit here and wait to be rescued. The thought that people may not come for him didn't even cross his mind. He knew his father. He would probably be in for an earful about the risks of magic and why he hadn't protected himself better, but Uther would not rest until his son was back in the castle to receive such rant. Arthur was his only heir, if nothing else that would prove reason for him to try and get his son back. Even so, Arthur didn't exactly find that he was managing to reassure himself. Surely his father would want him back for other reasons than just the fact that Arthur was next in line to the throne? It would have only been a couple of months before he was officially named Crown Prince and then the whole kingdom would know for certain who their next monarch was going to be.

Arthur dug his fingers into the rock, the sharp pain forcing his mind into working again as he hauled himself upright. He had to keep his hand resting on the stone in order to stop the whole place lurching alarmingly, but eventually, Arthur found that he was able to take a shaky step forward. The fact that he had no idea where he had been taken was something he refused to think about. For now, he just had to find a way of getting out of the cave. Once there, he was sure that he would be able to figure out how to get home, there were not many places around Camelot that Arthur did not know. Right now, he was taking advantage of the fact the witch didn't seem to be around and taking that opportunity to use the military tactic that he didn't often put into practice. He was going to run.

Once adamant that he would be able to stand for long enough to actually take more than a few steps without his knees giving way, Arthur glanced about him once more. His eyes were involuntarily drawn to where a small amount of light seemed to be filtering through, and the prince immediately made a beeline for it. Automatically, his hand made to close around his sword as he drew level with the gap in the rocks, only to curse under his breath as his hand closed through thin air. Of course, why on earth would someone leave Camelot's finest warrior with their sword? The witch seemed determined to keep him here, and Arthur couldn't help but feel worried by how easy this seemed to be. The entrance seemed unguarded, and involuntary, the blond glanced back behind him, wondering whether he was heading straight into a trap. Why would someone risk coming to Camelot to kidnap him if they were just going to lead him unguarded? Wondering whether she had contemplated the drug keeping him under for longer, Arthur blew out a long breath. He didn't really see what choice he had, he couldn't very well just sit here and wait to see what she wanted him for. He might be unarmed, but he was far from defenceless. He was just going to have to risk it.

Swallowing, Arthur darted for the entrance. He didn't know what he had been expecting, possibly for some magical force to suddenly fling him back again, but nothing happened. The prince skidded to a stop once he was out of the cave, glancing about him. He was definitely underground, yet it was clear that someone – possibly the witch - was here often, for torches were inset into the walls. Grabbing the nearest one, Arthur managed to get the thing alight and was soon running as fast as he could through the winding and twisting passages. He could only hope that he was going the right way.

Regardless of his pride at managing to get the torch lit despite the damp conditions, Arthur swore under his breath when he heard footsteps. Whoever it was clearly had yet to round the corner he could just make out in front of him. Biting his lip, Arthur glanced at the torch, sighed and dropped it to the floor. Stamping it out, he ducked behind an outcropping rock and waited with baited breath. There was the clink of heels as whoever it was strode confidently past his hiding place and Arthur caught a glimpse of a deep red dress in order to know who it was. She was heading directly towards he had been, and Arthur knew that he would have to move fast. He wasn't sure how powerful her magic was, but didn't want to stick around to find out what would happen when she realised he had gone. Leaving the torch where it was, he wasted no time but began to sprint in the direction she had come from. Surely it had to lead somewhere, she wouldn't just be sitting underground this whole time waiting for something to happen?

Despite knowing it was a shot in the dark, Arthur almost laughed out loud when the soft glow of the moonlight illuminated his way down the last stretch of passageway. The air was a lot clearer here than where he had been earlier, and the prince knew it could only mean one thing. He had somehow made it to the surface. Part one of his escape was almost complete and putting on a burst of speed, Arthur practically threw himself out of the opening. Immediately springing away, he pressed himself against the moss covered stone that hid the entrance to the caves, breathing heavily. His head was still swimming slightly from whatever it was she had done to him, and that coupled with the adrenaline rush and the murky air from before had him gasping like a dying man.

Finally managing to regain control of himself, Arthur straightened up, glancing about him as he did so. He found himself in a forest, but even by the moonlight, he wasn't sure where. He had grown up hunting and patrolling those around Camelot, but this part he didn't recognise. Somehow he knew that meant they had to be at least a day's hard ride from Camelot. For a moment, Arthur wildly wondered whether he had been unconscious for that long the first time she had knocked him out, but then reasoned that was impossible. Judging from what he did know, Arthur figured that he had been missing for about a day now. He had originally been taken after the feast, meaning it must have been the middle of the night. There was no way she would have been able to knock him out twice and leave him feeling that foggy minded in the same night, meaning it had to be the following one. By dawn, Arthur knew that the knights would be out looking for him. They would have spent a day finding out all they could about his disappearance and gathering supplies. Once they left the castle, Arthur was almost certain their orders were not to return without him, meaning they would have had to prepare. Not to mention his father was no doubt trying to question Bayard. Who else could have been behind this?

Thoughts of his knights and a potential rescue were pushed from Arthur's mind when he heard a strange hissing noise. Cursing his lack of sword once more, the prince swallowed hard and bent down. Rummaging around his feet, he managed to find a stout stick, one that would be useless against most of what roamed the forests at night. Arthur wasn't naive, he knew he only had a chance of angering whatever it was out there than doing any real harm, but he was not going to go down without a fight.

Keeping the stone work at his back to make sure nothing could sneak up on him, Arthur began to sidestep. The caves he had emerged from seemed to be the only ones in the area, for he could see no others. If he was honest, he wasn't sure whether that reassured him or not, it would hopefully mean there would be only the one exit that the witch would come from and so not be able to take him by surprise. Of course, Arthur was more than aware that would also mean she knew precisely where he had gone, but his attention snapped from his escape onto more pressing matters as he heard the hiss once again. Eyes darting everywhere, the prince kept his steps light and quick, trying to muffle his breathing. Not knowing what it was, Arthur had no idea how it would hunt, what senses it would use to track him down. All he could do was keeping moving and hope that he miraculously managed to get away with it.

He did manage to make it a few more steps before something caught his eye. Blinking, Arthur peered in the direction again, trying to focus his vision. After a moment, he swallowed hard, backing up as far as he could. There could be no denying that there was a pair of eyes watching him from under a log, and even as the prince tried to move, a long tongue flicked out as the hissing noise sounded once again. Not being sure what he was looking at; Arthur sped up, contemplating just running for it and attempting to lose the creature amongst the trees. But as soon as he took another step, it emerged from under the log. The roof of Arthur's mouth went dry.

It looked like something that belonged in one of Gaius' books. At a second glance, he knew that it _did_ belong in one of Gaius' books. He was forever flicking through them when he was young, then pretending to act out the battles single handily, much to the physician's amusement and exasperation as he tried to stop things being broken. But all thoughts of pretend battles were pushed far from Arthur's mind as he realised what he was looking at.

A cockatrice.

One drop of its venom would be his death. Arthur glanced over his shoulder back towards the cave, feeling like he was stuck between the devil and the deep. Should he try and confront the witch, at least knowing that she was human? Or did he confront the beast, safe in the knowledge that it didn't have a personal vendetta against him and at least his death would be quick?

The choice was taken from as the beast sprang forward, blocking the entrance of the cave as it spat at Arthur once more, beady eyes narrowed and calculating. Arthur found that his own gaze was calculating, his arm measuring up the weight of the stick, his legs tensed and ready to run. No sooner had a vague plan formed in his mind when the creature sprang at him. Arthur immediately dropped into a roll, swerving underneath the creature as it flew over his head. He had only made it up to his knees when he heard it turn, clearly preparing for another attack. Without thinking what he was doing, he threw the stick as hard as he could at the creature. He didn't wait to see if it had connected or not, but turned and ran.

Behind him, the cockatrice climbed unsteadily back up to its feet, the stick having caught it straight in the stomach and knocked the air out of it. It had given Arthur a split moment to make a run for it, but it was not going to be enough.

Arthur risked a glance behind him as he ran and found his hands flexing, desperate for his sword. The creature had tensed once more, and the prince could do nothing. He had nothing to defend himself with; he didn't even know where he was. He dropped to the floor once more, but he had moved too soon. This time, the creature had seen his movement and altered its course appropriately. Realising his mistake too late, Arthur tried to scramble up again, but he knew that he was out of time. The creature was practically upon him.

MMM

Merlin inwardly swore even as his hand shot out and his eyes flared in the darkened chambers. The mop that had been about to betray his plan froze in mid-air, and the warlock was practically holding his breath as he carefully positioned it back to where it had been. Luckily, Gaius did nothing but snuffle slightly in his sleep and roll over, allowing Merlin to slip almost silently out of the door. Closing it behind him, the warlock leant back on it for a moment, trying to resist the urge to pick at the bandages still swaddling his wrists. He had tried a spell on the burns earlier, but healing was not his strong point. He had managed to reduce the throbbing sensation slightly, but could do nothing for the actual burns. Merlin just supposed it was because there were not made through any natural means.

Pulling himself together, he pushed his bag back onto his shoulder and his body away from the wall. He had thought about leaving Gaius a note, but knew his guardian knew him well enough by now to know where Merlin had gone. He was not going to sit and wait until dawn like a good servant before going after Arthur. Every moment wasted meant Nimueh could be doing who knows what to the prince, probably being goaded at the same time. Arthur always told him off for not keeping his mouth shut, but Merlin knew that the royal was not just going to sit there and take whatever it was she threw at him. Arthur's pride would be his downfall, and Merlin knew he could not let that happen. Besides, if he left in the night, the chances were that there would be no one present in the woods. The solitude would give him the chance to unleash his magic, and maybe it would be able to pick up some trace as to where Arthur had been taken.

The warlock ran swiftly out of the castle, across the courtyard and hurried out of the gate as fast as he could. He had been meaning to take a horse, but there had still been torches burning when he had looked that way. Someone was still in the stables, and knowing that the knights would be preparing to leave to also search for Arthur, Merlin decided not to risk it. It might even buy him a little more time before anyone realised he was gone compared to if there was a horse missing. He just hoped that Arthur wouldn't be in need of a horse when his servant finally caught up with him. But that was something to be considered when the time came. For now, Merlin just had to make it out of Camelot without anyone seeing him and trying to send him back to Gaius. In their eyes, he was just Arthur's clumsy servant who overstepped the normal boundaries regarding a master/servant relationship. Merlin didn't think trying to explain to the Knights of Camelot that he was potentially the only one who could find their prince was going to go down too well. Never mind being sent back to Gaius, he would be lucky to escape the stocks if that was the case.

Luck seem to be on his side and Merlin managed to reach the cover of the borderline forest just as dawn was beginning to break. He knew that he was running on adrenaline right now and was fully aware that as soon as that came crashing down, he would drop. The only sleep he had had in almost two days was the few hours that Gaius' drug had forced upon him. But for now, Merlin was determined to make the most of the energy he did have. Rounding an old oak, the warlock gazed out through the forest, the very first rays of sun just beginning to filter through the trees and the birds greeting the new day. It was so peaceful, so tranquil that Merlin found himself smiling despite everything else that was going on. Resting one arm (he tried hand and then realised that really hurt!), Merlin took a deep breath, letting his power flood him. His other hand raised until it was perpendicular to his body.

"_Fromum feohgiftum on faedor bearme. Ablinan."_ He could feel the accumulation of magic building behind his eyes and his head lifted, revealing the golden glow to the wildlife of the morning. A blue-y strand of light shot from his hand, swirling around him for a moment, dancing almost gracefully. It then rose into the air, Merlin watching it with narrowed eyes as he directed his magic to try and guide him to Arthur. The spell slowly began to fall back down to the ground again, fading as it did so.

"No, come on!" Merlin muttered, glaring at it as he forced more magic out of his body. How could Nimueh have covered her tracks so successfully? She would have had to use a powerful teleportation spell to get them away; his magic should have been able to sense something. In dismay, Merlin could only watch as his spell continued to flutter to the floor. He knew that as soon as it touched the ground, it would fade out of existence and he would either have to admit he didn't know where to start or try the spell again. He could feel his eyes pulse once more as the magic was inches from the floor, and suddenly it stopped. Merlin caught his breath, not wanting to risk interrupting anything. It paused, hovering for a moment, then suddenly shot off towards the east.

Grinning, Merlin began running after it. It had faded from sight, but he had a direction to go in now. When he could no longer feel his magic in the air, he would simply repeat the spell, hundreds of times if he had to if it meant finding Arthur. For the first time since he had seen Nimueh across the room at the feast, Merlin felt like he knew what he was doing in order to fight back and protect his destiny. This was what his magic had been warning him off for days now, yet Merlin had been able to do nothing. Even Gaius had done more than he had, considering the old man's knowledge he had spent all afternoon imparting on the young warlock regarding who he was up against. She had claimed that he didn't know the first time he had tried to drive her away in Arthur's chambers, and Merlin had to admit she was right, he had barely even sensed her magic, although why he had no idea. But now, his head full of warnings even as his feet pounding against the hard ground as he ran, Merlin knew full well who he was up against.

He knew this was not going to be easy, she had been a High Priestess of the Old Religion since before he was even born. Merlin was fully aware that Nimueh knew things no one should know, and she had had nearly twenty one years to perfect this plan to make Arthur hers, whatever that was supposed to mean. But a challenge had never held down Merlin before, that was how he managed to get through each day of working for Arthur. Knowing his opponent was stronger than anything he had ever faced before could not be enough to hold him back. Arthur was depending on him, even if the prince didn't realise it.

Despite his confidence over what he was doing, Merlin found that he had to stop after an hour of running. The sun had fully risen, but the warlock could no longer appreciate the beauty of the area surrounding him. Instead, he let his hands rest on his knees as he bent over, gasping for breath. When they got back from this, he was going to research some spell that let him run all day and not get out of breath. Finally drawing oxygen into his protesting lungs, Merlin leant backwards on a tree, sinking down it slightly as he brushed his hair out of his eyes. There was still enough magic in the air from his previous spell that meant he didn't have to repeat it just yet, the trail was still leading east. A few moments rest surely wouldn't hurt...

Just as he got his breathing back under control and let his head fall back onto the tree, Merlin suddenly sat bolt upright again, scrambling to his feet. He could hear something, that was for sure. Tensing, preparing to run once more, the warlock listened hard. He didn't want to use magic again, not considering he had no idea who else was in the forest again, so instead glanced over his shoulder at the tree he had been leaning against. The sounds were more distinguishable now, and Merlin found himself cursing as he realised he was hearing hooves and men's voices. Of course, the Knights would have left at first light, and on horse-back, they could move a lot quicker than he could. With a start, Merlin suddenly realised they were getting closer, and felt his heart sink as he stared at the clear imprints of his boots. They were out looking for their prince and they had found tracks, what else were they going to do but follow them?

Once more allowing his eyes to flash, Merlin let a spell roll off his tongue. His footprints vanished, taking them back to a fork in the path he had been travelling down. When it reached the spilt in the rough track, Merlin directed his magic once more and smirked in satisfaction as a new set of prints appeared, curving away. He had no idea how far it would lead them, but with any luck, it would be far enough that he would be able to make a break for it. Knowing that he didn't have time to run, Merlin scrambled up the same tree that he had been leaning against, just as knights began to filter into his vision.

Glancing down, Merlin felt the roof of his mouth go dry. His bag was still sitting at the bottom of the tree. All it took was a mere flash of his eyes and the bag began to float up to him. Willing his magic to move quicker, Merlin froze as the voices became clear. The men had stopped, clearly studying the tracks and working out which way to turn. Holding his breath, Merlin tentatively reached out, fingers scrabbling at his bag. Just as he managed to grasp the material, the hand he had left wrapped around the branch gave a wave of pain as his burn protested the force, and Merlin could do nothing but yelp as he was sent tumbling out of the tree, landing with an audible thud on the ground. Winded, he could only stare at the sky and once more try and force air back into his lungs as he heard the sudden hush.

The next thing he knew, the hooves were once more sounding. But rather than taking the false trail, they were heading straight for him. Merlin knew he had been seen, there was no point running now. Not to mention the fact that he had managed to knock all the air out of himself in the fall and knew that he couldn't run even if he wanted to.

He just had to persuade them not to send him back to Camelot.

MMM

Arthur twisted on the floor as he waited for his death to spring upon him. Dawn was just breaking, the first rays of sun hitting the ground around him even as the cockatrice pounced once more. Arthur knew he wouldn't be able to move in time and was determined to face his death head on, even if it was springing at him in a rather horrifying manner. The cockatrice had halved the distance between them, and Arthur could see the way its back legs were tensing again. It was preparing to pounce, and the prince could only watch as it sprang into the air once more.

"_Fleoge! Bregdan anwiele gefeluc!"_The voice rang out, and Arthur felt goosebumps shoot up and down his arms at the sheer power being betrayed. His previous stick rose once more into the air, a blue coloured fire erupting along it before it shot straight at the cockatrice. It slammed into the creature's side, once more knocking it to the side and therefore away from Arthur. But another command meant the stick almost exploded, the cockatrice screaming in pain before falling still.

Tentatively, Arthur pushed himself up onto his elbows, swallowing hard. The witch was standing there, hand outstretched and eyes burning with both magic and fury. Slowly, Arthur began to wriggle backwards, hoping that her attention was still fixed on the creature and that he would be able to use the trees as shelter before she turned her attention onto him.

A throat being cleared meaningfully made him stop and he levelled his gaze at the woman. She was watching him, a faintly amused smirk on her face even as the fury continued to dance in her eyes.

"Do you really think I planned this for this length of time to simply allow you to walk out and let yourself be killed by an overgrown rat?" She scoffed, taking a few steps forward and nudging the remains of the creature out of the way as she advanced on Arthur. The prince placed his palms on the floor, preparing to push himself upright when her hand rose again and she hissed a word at him. It was as if invisible hands had taken hold of his elbows and pulled them out to the side, causing Arthur to crash straight back down again. He could lift his head to glare, but just as she had pinned him to the cave wall, he was now pinned to the forest floor. He struggled against the spell for a short moment, but on realising that he had no chance of breaking free from it, fell still. He was not going to be seen as weak, especially not by somebody whose name he didn't even know. Trying to keep his breathing under control, Arthur opted for simply glaring.

The witch stopped over him, swinging one leg over his frozen body and lowered herself until she was straddling his chest. Reaching once more into the folds of her cloak, her hand pulled out a phial, causing Arthur to try and throw her off.

"Who are you?"

She smiled, once more running a hand down his face and using magic to force his mouth open. She poured the contents in, but this time simply left her hand over his mouth, pinching his nose until Arthur had no choice but to swallow. He hated himself for doing it, knowing that whatever it was would not bode well for him. Her grip relaxed and she stroked his hair back from his forehead, leaning forward.

"The last face you'll ever see." She whispered directly into his ear, pulling back just enough to be able to look him in the eye. Arthur made sure that his face didn't give anything away, but considering her positioning, there was no way she couldn't not feel just how hard his heart was pounding. Even so, he couldn't help but swallow as he attempted to hold her gaze. He had always prided himself on being able to read people, but he simply had no idea what she wanted from him.

"Who-?"

"My name is Nimueh, little prince." She mocked, gathering her skirt and beginning to stand back up. Arthur attempted to rise, but found that the magic was still holding him in place. "And you belong to me."

Arthur growled, a deep noise coming from the back of his throat as he tried to get his limbs to listen to him rather than the witch's magic. He didn't know that name, but something about it made him shiver. Why did it feel like he had heard it before? The muscle in his jaw throbbed as he tried to get free of the magic without her seeing him struggle, but judging by the smirk that was sent his way, she had noticed anyway. Maybe she even felt it, he didn't know.

"You should have stayed where you were, little prince." Arthur glared at her, breathing heavily.

"I will never stop trying to get away from you." He swore, trying to make her see that her claims on him were not something he was just going to allow to happen.

"I see." The anger sparked back into life once more, and despite himself, Arthur found that he swallowed hard as her hand once more rose. "_Swefe nu!"_

If there was one thing he could say, it was that she had told him the truth. Her smirking face was the last thing he saw before the darkness dragged him under once again.


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you so much once again for all of the gorgeous support with this, it means the world.**

"You know that you have to go back to the castle, don't you?" There was a soft and gentle note to Sir Leon's voice as he gazed at Arthur's manservant. To say that it had been a surprise when the boy suddenly fell into their path from the tree was a little bit of an understatement, but in a way, the knight should have known that it was coming. Merlin had never respected the normal boundaries from day one. He addressed Arthur as a friend rather than his prince and master, so why should he sit back in the castle and let the knights do their job of finding the prince?

After Leon had split the group of and directed them out for more clues as to Arthur's location, he had set up a small camp, adamant that he was going to examine Merlin's bruises from his tumble. It had come as a vicious shock when he caught sight of the heavily bandaged wrists and the way Merlin winced when Leon took hold of his arm. The bandages were already beginning to get dirty, and knowing they had plenty of supplies with them, Leon had insisted on changing the dressings. He wasn't sure if Arthur would ever forgive him if he let something happen to Merlin. It may have been the servant who had originally began talking to Arthur like a friend, but the longer they spent in each other's company, the more Arthur was reciprocating the gesture. If he was honest, Leon was thankful. Arthur needed a friend, now more than ever now that his responsibilities were increasing.

Seeing the raw wrists, the knight didn't say anything. Merlin too was uncharacteristically quiet, and Leon was sure that he must have been in a great deal of pain. It was impossible to suffer wounds such as these and not hurt. But still, the man had to give him some credit. Even some of the knights would have been kicking up a fuss at this sort of wound, yet the only sound Merlin made was to suck in a sharp breath as Leon pulled slightly too tight on the bandage. But the knight couldn't help but wonder whether there was more to Merlin's silence. If he actually acted like a servant for a brief time rather than rebelling, maybe the knights would let them accompany him.

"Merlin? Did you hear me? You have to go back to Camelot, it's dangerous out here."

"If it is that dangerous, you shouldn't be out here either." Merlin retorted, glaring into the fire. If Leon would just look away from him for even a few seconds, Merlin would be gone. He would either do the simple notion of running away, or use his magic to create a distraction. His original tracking spell had faded away, and the warlock wasn't sure if he would be able to cast it again. The spell was obvious to even those without magic, and now that the woods surrounding him were crawling with the Knights of Camelot, he certainly couldn't risk it. He was trying to avoid being sent back to Camelot as it was, add magic to the mix and he would be dragged back to face his death. Unless they killed him out here...

"Merlin? You've gone pale, is it your wrists?"

"Yeah. Sorry, just got distracted." He didn't want to be seen as weak, but somehow Merlin knew that was better than telling Leon the truth. Out of all of Arthur's knights, he trusted Leon the most. For one thing, the man didn't seem to mind how he spoke to Arthur.

"You need to get back to Gaius, especially with those wounds. If they got infected... Arthur will never forgive either of us if something happened."

"I'd rather face him angry if it meant he was here to yell at me." Merlin responded, throwing a twig into the fire for something to do. Part of him wanted Leon's help, the man would be valuable backup if it was needed. But he knew that he somehow had to lose the knights if he had any chance of saving Arthur. Merlin was more than aware that Nimueh was not just going to hand her "prize" over, and the knights would only end up hurt if they got caught in the crossfire. With Nimueh getting possessive, Merlin knew he would have to use magic to get Arthur out. He just hoped that the situation would reveal itself in a way that he would be able to return to Camelot with the prince with his head still attached afterwards. If he was honest, Merlin wasn't sure he had any other choice. It was his destiny to protect Arthur, maybe this was what from?

Leon didn't say anything, but just seemed to nod in agreement. Silence fell between the two of them for a long moment before Merlin suddenly looked up.

"Don't send me back." He blurted out rather abruptly. Of course, he had no intention of going back to the castle, but would rather not waste the time by having to slip away from knights. They tended to be rather good at spotting things, it was what made them so good. Leon opened his mouth to protest, to demand that the servant return for he was only going to slow them down. He had no business being out here...

But then he remembered who he was talking to. Merlin was not out here looking for Arthur because he was the prince and the boy's master. He was out here because Arthur was his friend and was in trouble. He knew that some of other knights would not be happy with him for this – they saw the serving staff of the castle as below them – but the older man suddenly found he was nodding. He couldn't send Merlin back with a clear conscience. After all, he had once risen from his sickbed because Arthur was missing, despite the fact that it hadn't been his duty at the time to find the prince. He had been looking for someone that he cared about, and he knew the same was true here. With a wry smile, he picked up a branch and poked the fire. It may be true, but it wasn't as if either of the young men in question was going to come out and admit it, not without their tone being laced with sarcasm at the same time.

"Keep up, keep close and do as you are told." Leon ordered softly. He was not trying to pull rank on Merlin, but just wanted the servant safe. There was something about him that had managed to undermine all of their defences and he had earned himself a place in the heart of Camelot. He had softened Gaius, made Gwen blush, humbled Arthur... The Knight just found himself wishing that the clumsy youth had come to Camelot years ago, a sign that Merlin had managed to get through to the knight just as he had everyone else. The smile that spread over his face at Leon's words made the man certain he had made the right choice.

"You won't regret it," Merlin promised, his heart lightening considerably. He hadn't wanted to have to hurt any of the knights, or even deceive them about anything, but knew that was what he would have had to do if they insisted he went back to Gaius. At least now, he could use their tracking skills and superior knowledge of the forest they were in to locate Arthur. Then, and only then, would he think about how to twist the situation so _they _were the ones to return to Camelot, not him. When it became apparent that Leon was not about to move, Merlin felt his smile slip.

"Shouldn't we be looking for Arthur?"

"We are."

"I thought we were sitting by a fire." The look Leon gave him would have normally made even Merlin squirm slightly, but this time, the servant just met his gaze levelly. Leon was the one man he trusted to want to find Arthur as much as Merlin did, so why were they just sitting here?

"We are the base point. In one hour the knights will return and we set off in the direction that is most likely the prince would have been taken in."

"Then what?"

"Then we travel until it is no longer certain, and repeat the process."

"But that takes so much time!" Merlin protested. Maybe he would have been better out on his own after all?

"And going the wrong way takes even more. If you want to stay out here, Merlin, you need to do as you were told." The reprimand was only softened by the fact Leon knew his name, something that Merlin wasn't sure the rest of the knights knew. Glowering, he poked a stick into the fire, watching the flames spark angrily and glaring back just as fiercely. His mind was racing, trying to think of a way to influence the knights into going the right direction, just without making it obvious that it was him.

Merlin didn't respond to Leon's words, but just stared at the ground. How was he supposed to find Arthur in time if this was how the knights conducted a search? He glanced at Leon out of the corner of his eye before turning away. It might look as if he was just sulking, but Merlin's eyes were glowing. Over to the east – far enough away that the knights were only just beginning to reach that area – a twig snapped. The ground was scuffled slightly and the branches bent back, as if someone had forced their way through. Merlin knew that Nimueh had headed that way for at least some of the time. All he needed now was for the men to pick up the false trail and believe that was the way to go. Once camp was moved, Merlin would feel happier. At least it would mean they were closer to finding Arthur.

MMM

Arthur's teeth were chattering as he came back around once again. He was back in the cave, almost as if he had never left. For a moment, the prince wondered wildly whether he had gone or just imagined the whole thing, but then he felt something around his ankle. Glancing down, the reasoning behind his coldness was revealed. His jacket had been removed, the thin shirt doing nothing to protect him from the penetrating coldness of the cave. But that was not all... his boots were also gone. Around one bare ankle, a manacle glittered up at him. Growling, Arthur kicked out, feeling the chain snap taut from where it was anchored to the wall.

"Don't think that you can defy me and get away with it, little prince." Nimueh's voice came floating out of the darkness and the witch revealed herself even as Arthur started in surprise. He could only glare defiantly up at her as she walked closer. "Every time you resist me, your stay here will become more unpleasant." With one glance, she gestured to his chained foot and the fact that he was missing items of clothing. "And trust me when I say things can get very unpleasant indeed. Do everyone a favour, Arthur, don't fight."

"What do you want from me?" Arthur asked, a frown on his face as he stared up at her. He wasn't sure how long the chain was, he wasn't going to make a fool of himself by trying to move only to be pulled up short. No doubt she had removed his shoes thanks to the rocks littering the ground, believing it would make it hard for him to move. But it was giving Arthur an idea. If he reach a rock big enough, he might be able to break the chain. He had heard Nimueh's words, and dutifully ignored them. There was no way that he was going to just sit here and let her carry out her plans. He had a duty to get back to Camelot, no matter what.

"You'll see," Nimueh moved closer, and Arthur almost groaned as she pulled out another bottle.

"What is that? What are you doing to me?" The witch didn't respond verbally, but instead whispered another spell of magic and Arthur shut his eyes in despair as he once again realised that he couldn't move. He made an effort to jerk his head away as she proceeded to drug him once more, but the fight wasn't there. He wanted answers, he wanted to know what was going on.

"Good boy," Nimueh mocked, moving away again and wondering whether this truly was Arthur beginning to back down. It was going to be a lot easier for all of them if he did just accept his fate, accept that his destiny had been grabbed, ripped apart and a new one forged. She would still make him King, just not the king that Uther had spent all of these years creating. Arthur coughed slightly, almost as if he was trying to rid his body of what was being forced into it. But he wouldn't be able to now, no matter what he did. He had ingested too much of the drug.

"What is it?" He asked again, and Nimueh smiled. A few answers couldn't hurt, it wasn't as if he could do anything with them, not when she had him chained and at her mercy.

"What did you fight when you first left this cave?" She asked almost pleasantly, and Arthur stared at her. What kind of question was that, he knew what he had fought!

"A... a... it was a..." He knew this, he knew that he did. Frowning, he glanced at the floor. He had been sitting on the back end of the cave, but had run. He hadn't got very far outside... but what had happened? There was a fight, his aching body could tell him that, but what was it against?

"A magical creature." He announced boldly, hoping that it would be enough for her not to pry. Maybe it he could sound confident, it would stop her from asking anything else? Nimueh just smirked in the darkness.

"Don't lie to me, Arthur, what did you fight?"

"I..."

"You don't know, do you?"

"Of course I know, I was the one who fought it." Arthur spat, trying to use his voice to disguise just how hard his heart was pounding. It had come at him from the west... or was it the east? Had it come from the caves or the surrounding forests?

"I know you don't, that's the whole point."

"What have you done?" Arthur practically whispered, his voice showing just a hint of vulnerability since the first time he had been taken from Camelot. He would never ever in a million years admit it to anyone, but Arthur was scared. She was messing with his mind, and judging by the way that she was smiling down at him now, it was working.

"Did you turn east or west when you got out of the caves? Did you walk past me, did you use a torch or did you stumble your way through darkness?"

"I..." Arthur stared at her. He knew he had escaped, but the details... Swallowing, he realised that the last thing he could remember clearly was the first time he had woken up in this cave. Everything after that was hazy. It was like the facts were there, but every time he tried to grasp them they just slipped from his reach.

"This is a rather special potion. It slowly removes ones memories. I guess it will be your manservant you forget first, he's the latest to come into your life. Then maybe the Lady Morgana's maid, you've only just begun to notice her. Who will be next, I wonder? One of your knights? Those you let into the ranks slowly disappearing from your mind?"

Arthur pushed himself backwards away from her, breathing heavily. She was lying! She had to be, there was no way that a potion could do something like that...and yet he couldn't remember the details of what had happened. The prince suddenly felt sick, and there was a part of him that wished he could be, bring up whatever she had been forcing into him. He didn't want to believe what she was saying, he had to feel like he was in control. But yet, some part of him knew she was telling the truth. Despite everything, Nimueh hadn't yet lied to him, and there was the issue of the forgotten time.

"How do I still know your name then?" He suddenly spat, anger glaring at her through shockingly blue eyes. He could still vividly recall her telling him her name just after he had escaped. Nimueh's head lifted and she smirked.

"Because, little prince, I am not one of your recent memories. You have known my name since you were two days old. You will not be forgetting me any time soon. Soon, I'll be the only thing you know. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to stop your knights from finding you."

Arthur could only stare as she swept out of the cave. Immediately, he tugged against the chain around his ankle, wincing as the metal bit into his foot. He had to get out of here before she had the chance to do anything else to him. He had to get free, to get back to Camelot, there was no question about it. Realising that there was no way that he could simply pull his foot free, Arthur let his hand shoot across the floor. His earlier plan of breaking the chain with a rock had seemed like a desperate measure at the time, but now, he wasn't sure if he had any choice. Selecting one that was a reasonable size, Arthur glanced at the cave entrance. She could be anywhere...

"You can't do this!" He yelled as loudly as he could, looking for all the world like he was just having a tantrum at being locked up. But he twisted his body as he did so, making sure that it was only his back that could be seen from the entrance. As he yelled, he brought the rock crashing down on the chain.

"You have to let me go! I will get away from you and make you pay!" Continuing to yell whatever threat came into his head, Arthur used his voice to cover up the noise the rock made as he drove it against the chain time and time again. He knew that he was more likely to break his foot than free it if he attacked the manacle there, so instead was smashing the rock against the link that was attached to the wall. It seemed the most strategic weak point, and even though his arm was tingling through the force of his actions, Arthur didn't stop. He didn't care if he was making himself sound like a weak, spoiled brat who couldn't get his own way considering what was coming out of his mouth, as long as it worked.

"I'm the prince of Camelot, you can't do this to me!"

"Oh but I can." Arthur jumped violently as his final yell was met with a response, and he barely even had time to turn his head before the rock was wrenched from his hand by an unseen force, scattering across the cave floor and far from his reach. His head swivelled around to watch the rock's flight and he growled at seeing Nimueh there. It was harder to tell who looked more angry. Both of Arthur's hands grabbed the chain and he pulled as hard as he could even as she began to walk across the cave. The first few tugs were futile efforts, but on the third, Arthur felt his heart pounding hard. The rock had worked, there was a slight give in the chain. Wrapped it around his foot, he forced his leg straight as hard as he could, and grinned in success as the link clearly began to come apart.

"Don't think you are going to get anywhere, Arthur." Nimueh threatened, but Arthur had a sense of adrenaline running through him. He was getting out of here! Once more taking the chain in his hand, he gave an almighty tug and almost toppled over backwards as it broke. Jumping to his feet, Arthur turned. He had just enough time to register that Nimueh was directly in front of him before he was sent flying backwards.

"_Weorc untoworpenlic." _Arthur yelled out in horror as he realised that he was pinned against the cave wall. As he watched, the chain seemed to come alive, racing up his body. It twirled around his wrists, pulling them in front of his body and binding them together before lifting them over his head, securing him to the wall that way.

"I told you this stay could get unpleasant for you."

"And I told you that I would never stop trying to get away from you."

"You remember saying that?" Nimueh frowned as she walked closer to the bound prince, smirking in delight when she realised that the previous fright he had been so desperately trying to hide had just leaked into pure fury. He was powerful like this, and if she could get him to hold onto that anger whilst her plan was put into action, it would be even more effective than she had hoped. But it seemed that he was also stronger than she had anticipated. It was true that details of his escape had clearly been wiped from his mind, she could see him chasing after the facts like ash blowing in the wind. He knew they were there, he just didn't have a hope in being able to hold onto them. But it appeared he really was as stubborn as the rumours proved. He wouldn't just forget as he was supposed to, but instead be fighting every step of the way. Even without knowing what was happening, even with being more out of his depth than he had ever been in his life, Arthur was not going to back down.

"Maybe I remember it all?" Arthur bluffed, his hands twisting as he tried to see if there was a way that he could break this chain as well. Somehow, it didn't feel like it, but he had a mixture of adrenaline and fury running through him. There was no way the prince was going to stop fighting. Knowing that the chains were secure and therefore could handle his weight, Arthur put aside all of his morals that had been drilled into him by the knights, his father and Gaius. As soon as Nimueh was in reach, he lifted a leg and attempted to kick out at her.

His foot never even came close to connecting. Her eyes flashed and Arthur gasped as the chain seemed to shorten. He could feel himself being dragged up the wall, his shoulders already beginning to burn as his feet left the floor. He tried to struggle, tried to get a grip on something, but there was nothing to take his weight. He could only hang there, panting as his feet scrabbled uselessly. They were only a few inches off the floor, but it was enough. Unable to stop himself, Arthur let out a long groan.

"Maybe you shouldn't lie to me? Oh Arthur, you could make this so much easier for yourself. Just stop fighting me, accept the fact that you aren't getting out of here." Arthur glared from where he was hanging, focusing on getting his breathing back under control once more. He couldn't let her see that he was practically terrified. There was no way he could escape from a position.

"It's my duty to get back to Camelot." He muttered softly, lifting his head in time to see Nimueh roll her eyes dramatically.

"What is it with Pendragon men, their stubbornness and their duty?"

"You know my father?"

"Oh my dear, sweet, little prince..." Nimueh moved forward, eyeing his legs carefully in case he should kick out again, but leant in close. One hand brushed through his hair as she pressed herself against him in order to whisper in his ear. "Your father is the reason this is happening. You could say that he is the reason why you are now hanging there, like a fish caught on a rod, squirming and flaying around, but completely helpless to free yourself. He's who you have to blame for this."

"You..." Arthur whispered softly, causing her to take a look at his face in case this was him beginning to soften. All she saw there was shimmering defiance. "...are completely delusional. You must know that I'll be found."

"Now who is the delusional one?" Nimueh stepped back and began chanting, her hands spiralling in the air in front of her. Arthur felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up at the display of magic, twisting helplessly in his chains. He wanted to both run and make her stop, and what scared him more was that he wasn't sure which feeling was more dominant. Never before had Arthur Pendragon wanted to run away from a threat. But he found his eyes were drawn back to Nimueh as an orb began to form in mid-air.

The witch seemed to know that he was watching, smirking through her chanting and moving the orb closer. Arthur had to fight hard to stop himself from reacting as he saw an image beginning to form in it. For a moment, he could only frown, not being sure what it was that he was seeing, but then even he was unable to stop his gasp from escaping him.

Leon and Merlin.

He knew that it was no trick, could see the bandages wrapped around Merlin's wrists, the typical set up of the camp meaning that the knights were on a hunt for something. _For him_, a voice in the back of his mind told him, but he ignored it as he continued to watch. The pair were talking, Merlin looking more and more unhappy until Leon glanced away, muttering something quietly. The servant's face instantly lit up as he nodded, and Arthur didn't need to hear what was being said in order to know the conversation that was taking place. He knew what Merlin was like, no doubt his foolish servant would have set off after him the second Arthur had disappeared. Then most likely got himself lost in the woods or something, just because that was the way Merlin was. It was clear the knights had caught up with him and tried to send him back to Camelot, back to safety. Arthur couldn't help but feel touched by Merlin's loyalty, but knew that his servant was more likely to get himself killed than find Arthur. But the prince knew what had just been said. Leon had granted permission for the boy to accompany them. Unable to stop himself, Arthur smirked slightly. He just hoped that his head knight realised quite what he had let himself in for there.

"You really think that they are going to be able to come and find you?" Arthur swallowed slightly as he tore his eyes away from the image and glanced at Nimueh. Her voice and expression were cold, and Arthur knew the witch he had been dealing with was just a shadow of what she was capable of.

The words that poured from her mouth caused Arthur to shiver. It was as if his soul was recoiling from the magic, desperately trying to find somewhere safe to hide. But his eyes returned to the orb. Merlin had turned away to pick up some more firewood, and Leon suddenly stiffened. His back arched slightly and his mouth opened in a wordless cry.

"What are you doing to him?" Nimueh didn't answer, but instead continued to chant, her voice raising in volume as she did so. Ending with a final shout, her hand thrust at the orb and Arthur gasped.

Leon had relaxed again but glanced around him. He almost seemed to look directly at the point Arthur was watching the scene from, but rather than the friendly warmth in his eyes, they had gone jet black. His expression was cold and Arthur could only watch, helpless, as his friend reached for his sword. He had it drawn in a blink of an eye, turning towards where Merlin still had his back to the man. Lifting it above his head, it was more than apparent what his intentions were.

"Merlin!" Arthur couldn't stop himself, trying to shout a warning to a friend that was leagues from here. But Merlin took that moment to turn, his eyes widening in horror as he saw the sword lifted above him. Nimueh's eyes flashed and the orb disappeared.

"No! What have you done?" Arthur was struggling furiously against his chains now, feet kicking out desperately as he tried to make contact with something, anything that would give him the freedom to attack the witch in front of him.

"I told you that you wouldn't be found." She responded smoothly, enjoying Arthur's desperate struggles. It would drive him mad not knowing what happened next in that little scene. She had no doubt that Merlin would be fine, he was Emrys, after all. But would he be able to think quick enough, would he risk exposure? But this wasn't really about the warlock, but the prince.

She knew enough about Arthur to know those two men were the closest people to him. And he had just seen them turn on each other. Arthur had fallen still, his chin resting on his chest as he panted, clearly trying to regain control of himself. She had to admire his fighting spirit.

"I also told you that this stay could be very unpleasant if you don't stop fighting me. Your knights killing your servant. The King's ward killing the physician. You know what I'm capable of, Arthur. Stop fighting."

With that, she swept from the cave, waving her hand and causing the torches to all go out. Plunged into darkness and shivering in the cold, Arthur could only hang there. He knew he should be thinking of a new escape plan, but all he could see was Merlin's horrified expression as he watched Leon's sword come towards him.


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you so much once again for all of the support, can't tell you what it means to me.**

There was a strange sensation making the back of Merlin's neck tingle. It was like they were being watched, yet at the same time he could feel his magic reacting. Someone was watching them through magical means. His breath catching in his throat, the warlock turned, pretending to rummage through the pile of wood for the fire. What he was really doing, however, was trying to focus on the sensation, trying to work out what it was he was feeling. Hearing a snap of a twig behind him, Merlin turned back to the fire.

"What are you doing?" His mouth fell open in horror as he looked up at Sir Leon. The man had closed the distance between them, and was standing directly over Merlin with his sword raised. The warlock had no idea what was going on, something clearly must have been wrong with the man. Only a moment ago he had granted permission for Merlin to accompany them, why on earth would he turn on him now? Leon wildly swung and Merlin scrambled backwards, only just ducking under the blade. It took a couple of attempts, but Merlin eventually managed to clamber to his feet, backing up as he kept a wary eye on the sword.

He knew that something was very wrong, something that was linked with the feeling of being watched. Not only was this completely unlike the man Merlin had come to know over his months in Camelot, but there was something wrong with the way Leon was fighting. Merlin had been dragged to the training grounds with Arthur enough to know that the man was not normally this clumsy. If he had wanted Merlin dead, the warlock was fully aware that he would have been killed before he had even turned back around. It was almost as if Leon was fighting against something, trying to stop himself.

"Nimueh." Merlin growled under his breath, stopping still. He had a tree pressed to his back, he would have to leave himself exposed if he tried to move into the shelter of the forest. Even lacking his normal grace, the knight still looked more than imposing as he advanced on Merlin. Every instinct was yelling at the servant to run, to strike back. But too often had Merlin acted without thinking of late, and the consequences had never worked in his favour. He knew this time, he had to get it just right. Leon had to be close enough for Merlin to see his eyes, to try and work out what it was the witch had done. At the same time, he had to stop the knight from killing him. It had to be Nimueh, there was no other explanation for it. Deep down, Merlin felt a flicker of hope even as his whole body braced against Leon's steady approach. Maybe that meant she was getting concerned, that perhaps they were on the right track after all?

Swallowing hard, Merlin blew out a long breath as he watched Leon closely. The man was getting closer and closer, the timing was almost right...Now! Even as Leon's sword raised in a swing that, should it arc forward, would have cut Merlin clean in half, the servant reacted. His hand shot out even as his eyes flared gold. He had been able to move things since before he could talk, he didn't need words to throw Leon back from him. The knight's feet left the ground, his whole body arching as he was forced away from Merlin before hitting the ground with an audible thud, no longer moving.

It had been enough though. Merlin had seen the black eyes, the cold expression and knew for sure that the man was being controlled. He vaguely remembered coming across something in his spell book, and just hoped that Leon wouldn't remember what had happened. Or, at least, not remember why it was that he didn't actually manage to defeat the servant the prince always ridiculed for not being able to defend himself.

"Leon?" Taking a tentative step forward, Merlin let his magic seep out of him and envelop the fallen knight. For a split second, the man almost seemed to glow before the colouring faded again, but it had told Merlin enough. Whatever it was that had influenced him was gone. The warlock couldn't help but wonder whether Nimueh had been really trying to kill him. Considering he had been at her mercy back in Arthur's chambers, she could have done it days ago. But then there was the feeling of being watched, something that had disappeared just as Merlin had started backing up. His mind racing, Merlin dropped to his knees next to Leon, giving his shoulder a small shake. Maybe that hadn't really been about them after all? Everyone knew Leon was Arthur's right hand man, and that the prince and his servant had a relationship that was friendlier than it should be. His eyes narrowed in contemplation, Merlin wondered whether that had been for Arthur's benefit.

"Sir Leon?" A small groan greeted him and Merlin sighed in relief as the knight began to stir slightly. Sometimes he forgot how strong his magic was, especially when it was acting in his defence. Knowing Leon hadn't been acting on his accord, Merlin hadn't wanted to hurt him, just stop him. As Leon stirred again, Merlin felt his magic flare. It was as if something came shooting out of Leon, and the warlock grinned. He would no longer need a tracking spell to try and find Arthur. Nimueh's own magic was lighting the way back for him, clear as a blazing arrow. Whilst no one was around and Leon wasn't yet quite with it, Merlin whispered a spell under his breath. His magic pulsed once more, eyes glowing softly as his own power latched onto hers. He wouldn't lose the trail now, not until he deliberately broke the connection or Nimueh realised what he had done.

"Get away from him, servant!" Merlin hadn't even heard the rest of the knights coming back until a hand gripped the back of his collar, bodily pulling him away from Leon even as the man began to slowly sit up.

"Bors, stop! He didn't do anything!"

Merlin felt Bors snarl in his ear even as his arm was pulled up behind his back. Inwardly, he groaned. Bors hated him, hated the relationship that Merlin shared with Arthur. Merlin had picked up enough to know that the man wasn't to favourable towards Leon either.

"Then why was he standing over you threateningly?"

"Merlin? Threatening? Bors, come on, this is the prince's trusted manservant. He was out here looking for his master, I've told him he can join us."

"He can do no such thing."

"Let me go!" Merlin growled, trying to throw Bors off him. But not being able to use magic, he was just a scrawny servant attempting to go up against a knight of Camelot. Leon narrowed his eyes at his comrade.

"Are you saying my word is less than yours?"

"I'm saying that the King assigned me to take control of this party and to find his son. We are not having some idiot servant along with us who is going to get himself killed." Before Merlin could protest any further, Bors bodily pushed him away, straight into the hands of two of the other knights. They gripped his upper arms tightly, luckily avoiding his bandaged wrists.

"Take him home. Make sure he stays there."

"No!"

"Sir Bors, no." Leon's voice was calm. "If you will not listen to me as the prince's trusted knight, then listen to me as a noble. I hereby take Merlin into my service until his rightful master is found. Anyone who lays a hand on him will answer to me." Merlin stopped struggling and gaped, a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. Leon shot him a warning look to stay quiet, but Merlin was more interested in the expression on his eyes. Leon wanted answers over what had happened beforehand, that was clear. Part of him was grateful for the warning, giving him time to be able to come up with a story that the knight would believe and therefore ensuring that he could stay out here in the forest, looking for Arthur.

"Very well. But he is your responsibility, Leon." Bors nodded towards the men holding Merlin, and the warlock didn't have time to brace himself before he was shoved forward again. This time, he hit the floor, landing on his knees by Leon's feet.

"That should be where he stays." Bors spat. "The rest of you, set up camp."

Merlin hadn't even noticed that it was growing dark until now, and just about bit back a groan as the men started making camp. No doubt someone would be watching him now, it was getting harder and harder to think of some excuse that would allow him to slip away from the knights. Leon offered down his hand and Merlin took it gratefully, ignoring the jeers of the men as he allowed himself to be pulled to his feet.

"Thank you." He muttered softly, his voice echoing with sincerity. Not many nobles would have put themselves out, or go against their captain, the way Leon had just done for the sake of helping a servant.

"You'll definitely have to do as you are told now. Think you can manage it?" Merlin managed a weak smile at Leon's attempt to lighten the situation, but didn't miss the way the knight was steering him towards the edge of the camp, clearly not wanting to be the centre of attention any longer.

"Merlin..." The warlock braced himself, knowing that Leon was about to ask what had happened. Sure enough, the knight's next words were as predicted. "Why were you crouched over me? How did I end up on the floor?"

For a moment, Merlin didn't speak. If it was Arthur, he would have said that the prince had tripped. Arthur would get so caught up in defending himself and claiming that he would never do something so undignified the initial question would have been forgotten as they bickered. But Leon was not like that, nor did Merlin have that relationship with him.

"I don't know." He replied honestly, still not being sure what he was going to say even as the words were coming out of his mouth. "I turned to get some wood, and by the time I looked back, you had stood up. You walked forward a little, and then just seemed to collapse. Maybe you ate something funny at the banquet the other day, or had too little sleep? I tried to rouse you, and the rest you know."

"Oh." Leon reached behind Merlin and dragged a pack into view. "Thank you, then. Please tell me you have belongings out here somewhere?"

Merlin grinned at the exasperated tone in the knight's voice and nodded. "I'll just set up the fire and bed roll for you, Sire, then I'll go and get it."

"I'm quite capable..."

"Aren't I supposed to be acting as your servant?" Merlin cut through the man's protests, secretly marvelling at the fact there was a knight around who didn't act like a pompous arse the whole time. Leon snapped his mouth shut and sat back as Merlin quickly and efficiently set about making a fire. He may be somewhat useless in the castle as a servant, but there were some things he knew how to do. He had often taken himself off on his own whilst in Ealdor, growing up with magic was not easy. Setting up a camp was something even Arthur couldn't fault, although not through lack of trying.

"Thank you." Leon muttered softly as Merlin finally shook out the bed roll after making sure the ground underneath was clear. He didn't think he would ever complain about Arthur hunting again. With Merlin around, they never caught anything. So the prince made his servant set up camp whilst he went and found dinner. It was amazing how easy it was to clear the ground with a little magic compared to by hand.

"How come you haven't rubbed off on Arthur more?" Merlin responded with a cheeky grin, wondering how his master's manners could be so appalling even after all the time he had spent in Leon's company. The knight relaxed at Merlin's joking manner, coming to sit by the fire properly.

"He's his own man, is our prince."

"Regardless of Uther's attempts to mould him?"

"Merlin!"

"Sorry, Sire." It took a great deal of effort to apologise. Merlin didn't see what he had said that was wrong, surely Leon must think the same? But whilst Leon was kinder than others, he was still a noble and a Knight of Camelot first and foremost. He was not about to just let Merlin insult the king.

"Go on, go and find your pack, then get some sleep. Stay where I can see you. We'll be leaving at dawn, scouts are still searching the area as we speak. So make sure you get some sleep, goodness knows I've had to listen to Arthur moaning about you being late too many times." Leon lay down as he spoke, drawing his cloak over him. Merlin poked a stick into the fire and rose to his feet.

Maybe this was the chance that he needed? His bag was still out of the way, back where he had fallen out of the tree. It was certainly out of the knights' view. He would have everything he would need, for his pack would once more be back in his possession. Merlin felt bad slipping away like this after everything Leon had done for him, but wasn't sure he would get another chance.

Arthur came first.

Moving quietly out of the camp, Merlin set off back towards the tree that had thrown him into the knights' path in the first place. Unfortunately for the warlock, he didn't see two of the knights peel themselves off from the main camp and follow him.

MMM

A cup was pressed against his lips and Arthur drank thirstily even as his eyes opened. He wasn't sure whether he had managed to doze off or had just simply passed out. But whilst the cave was still in complete darkness, he knew there was no way that he had heard the footsteps approach him. A second after he had started drinking, the prince tried to jerk his head away, worried that he had just voluntarily consumed some of Nimueh's mysterious drug.

"Shh." A voice soothed, seeming to come out of nowhere. The cup withdrew and Arthur managed to focus his eyes enough to make out the witch's form in front of him. Licking his lips, he realised that it was only just water, and was unable to stop himself from drinking more as the cup was once more pressed against his mouth. It had seemed days, weeks even since he had last drunk anything proper, despite the fact that he knew it was only a couple of days. Now that he was thinking about it, it made him realise how hungry he was as well, something that his body decided to take that moment to protest against as his stomach growled loudly.

"Oh I don't think you've earned food just yet, do you?" Nimueh's sickly sweet voice mocked, pulling the cup back once more. Arthur nearly whimpered, wanting so much more of the liquid. He had his eyes screwed up as he tried to focus his vision, once more being made aware of the fact that he was hanging from a cave wall. Now that consciousness and clarity had returned properly, he was craving for the blessed relief of sleep to come and claim him again. At least that way, he couldn't feel the manacles digging into his wrists, his shoulders screaming about having to take his weight. There was a soft clinking sound as Nimueh bent down, and Arthur had a feeling she had just placed the cup on the floor. Something else was pressed against his lips, and he growled at recognising the feeling of the bottle.

"Do you want to eat?" Nimueh snapped, the sweetness vanishing from her voice. Sensing her impatience, Arthur smirked in the darkness, not being sure whether she would be able to see him or not.

"Would ruin your plans if I simply starved to death, woul..mmph..." Halfway through speaking, Nimueh had lifted a hand. With one hand, she gripped Arthur's hair, holding his head still, whilst the other forced the bottle against his lips, tipping it up. He either had to swallow or choke, and whilst his mind might have liked the defiance of going down fighting, his survival instinct was too strong and Arthur was swallowing before he knew what he was doing.

"Don't think I'd let you go that easily, do you?" The witch had regained control of the situation now Arthur had consumed the next dosage. She had decided that he was making things too hard. This one and the next few would be laced with a sleeping draught. At least that would keep him quiet until it had taken hold enough for him to not be sure what it was that he was supposed to be fighting against. This was taking too long, he was supposed to have already surrendered to the grip of the drug by now. It wouldn't take much longer before his body started craving it, especially considering the amount she had already forced into him. Then he would be completely at her mercy, alone, disorientated and his body begging for something, even if he couldn't remember what. Considering she could feel the weight of his glare in the dark, Nimueh was beginning to look forward to it.

She had always been after control over Arthur. But whilst it gave her something of a thrill to be able to order him to attack his own men and watch him do it, she didn't want to completely destroy him. It would be far more exciting for him to kill his own father whilst still being recognised as Arthur compared to just being a shell of a man. If he was broken, they would know it was not him in control. If he still had some spirit left, doubt would enter the people's mind regarding whether this was truly their prince or not. But it seemed that Arthur himself had taken that choice from her. She had come too far for her plan to fail now; she was going to have to break him completely. He only had himself to blame. If he had listened to her and not fought, she would have kept him in relative comfort, not half starving him whilst leaving him chained to a wall!

"Wha-," Arthur coughed slightly, clearly beginning to feel the effects of the sedative. Nimueh smirked, moving closer to him in order to make the stubborn prince feel uncomfortable. If she was going to have to break him completely, then she was going to make him squirm first. "What have you done?"

"What did you fight when you escaped, Arthur?"

"Escaped?" Arthur's voice was a whisper, lined with confusion. Nimueh's smirk widened. Beforehand, he couldn't remember what he had fought. Now he was beginning to forget that he had ever gone. The memory was still there and the drug wasn't yet overpowering, meaning after a few moments of thinking, Arthur was beginning to get some recollection back. He knew in the back of his mind he had escaped, but not how or what had happened. "Go away, witch."

The growl might have been impressed if Arthur had uttered it the moment he had woken up. But considering there was a sedative tugging on him sharply and he had just shown that his memories were beginning to slip away from him, Nimueh simply smiled, caressing his cheek with one finger.

"Oh my little prince, so violent. We'll change that, you'll see."

"Just let me go. You know I'll be found, why not make it easier on yourself?"

"You mean you don't remember that little scene in the woods? You don't remember your most trusted knight going for a killing blow on your poor, defenceless servant?" Arthur completely froze, and she could almost hear the cogs turning as the memory of the orb slotted back into place. The prince suddenly sucked in a sharp breath before pulling on the chain, his whole body jerking as he did so.

"What have you done to them?"

"They did it to themselves. Sweet dreams, little prince."

"No!" But the strength was already slipped fast from the royal's voice, and Nimueh was sure she heard something that made her smile. It was so quiet, so soft that most people wouldn't have even noticed. But she had been listening for it the moment Arthur had come stumbling into his chambers. The smallest of whimpers, the smallest sign of distress escaped the prince. The hand on his cheek slipped and ran down his chest. His shirt melted away under her touch and Arthur immediately shivered slightly.

"Why?" He whispered, clearly fighting his own body to try and stay awake. She had to admire his effort, that was for sure. Most people would have given into the draught the second they felt it pulling on them, but Arthur had fought on through.

"You're still resisting me." Nimueh murmured softly back, a note of regret in her voice. "Just stop fighting, and this will all be over."

"Never..." If Arthur meant to finish that sentence with another comment about he was never going to stop fighting, he never got the chance as the drug pulled him under. Shaking her head regretfully, Nimueh chanted a spell, her eyes flashing in the direction of the chains holding him. She couldn't risk him getting out of these ones. Despite all of her comments, Nimueh was worried. He was fighting the drug and had withstood letting the sedative win for a remarkable length of time. Taking his shirt and denying him food might have seemed just like she was toying with him, but the witch was genuinely running out of ideas. If Arthur didn't start succumbing to the effects soon, she wasn't completely sure how she was going to continue to restrain him effectively.

"So violent," Nimueh whispered, stepping back and gazing at Arthur sorrowfully. She was looking at a strong and independent young man, fair and skilled, no one could doubt that. But she could also see years of his father's teachings there, years of being taught to hate, to _fear_ what he did not understand. A Pendragon with a fear was a powerful weapon indeed, for she knew he would not let his fear consume him, but seek to eradicate the source. The baby who had created the problem had been shaped into a man who would rectify it. But how could that be right, when all Arthur knew about magic was that it was evil and had to be destroyed? Shaking her head sadly, Nimueh checked the restraints and began chanting once more. Maybe it was time to pay the father a visit?

MMM

"My Lord, you must rest. As your physician, I'm ordering you to rest."

"Silence, Gaius. Why haven't they found anything?" Gaius sighed heavily. When he had awoken to find that Merlin had gone, he had just sighed heavily and hoped the boy had remembered to take clean dressings for his wrists. He should have known that Merlin was not just going to hang around, not when his destiny was out there and in trouble.

"They are looking, Sire. I'm sure it is only a matter of time before the knights pick up the trail." Gaius wasn't just saying it to make the pacing King feel better. Whilst he wasn't sure whether the knights would truly be able to locate the missing heir, Gaius had every faith that Merlin would. The boy had almost unlimited magic at his disposal, so as long as he was on his own in order to be able to wield it, Gaius was certain that Arthur would be found.

He had come to administer Uther his medicine for his shoulder, only to find the room in chaos. He had heard a rumour that the king and his ward had had a blazing row over dinner which had resulted in Morgana being confined to her chambers until her guardian saw fit. Gaius knew them both well enough to know what it was about. The young lady would have no doubt believed that she should be doing something more productive than sitting in the castle when the man she considered to be like a brother to her was missing. Of course, Uther had refused, but Morgana had never liked being told what she could and couldn't do. But it was clear when Gaius had arrived later that Morgana wasn't the only one who hated being out of control. This was killing Uther.

"You won't be able to help him if you exhaust yourself."

"Your ward..." Uther stated bluntly, completely and utterly ignoring the advice of the one man who would dare call himself Uther's friend. How could this be happening? How could Nimueh have managed to take Arthur now, when they were so close to being free of her threats?

"Merlin?" Gaius wasn't sure he managed to cover up the surprise and the hint of anxiety that crept into his voice there.

"He is also missing, is he not? How do you know he was not working with the witch?"

"My Lord!" If Gaius' voice was more angry than he would normally let himself address the king like, he made no attempt to rectify it. He knew what Uther was like when it came to paranoia, and knew that if he started thinking there was something else to Merlin other than what met the eye, he wouldn't let it go until he knew for sure. Unfortunately in Merlin's case, there _was _far more than what met the eye, the type of things that would have him executed before anyone could protest. "You saw what she did to him, the hex she used. One does not use that on an ally. She hurt him..."

"I am sorry about that, you know." Gaius jumped in alarm as Uther snarled, automatically reaching for his sword. The physician barely even had time to register the fact that Nimueh was sitting casually on Uther's bed, one leg crossed elegantly over the other and watching them with an amused expression on her face. "But you did just see enemies everywhere, didn't you, Uther?"

The King took a step forward, only to be sent flying backwards as Nimueh's eyes flashed. He hit the wall with an audible thud, but rather than slipping down it, was held in position by invisible hands. Gaius felt his heart racing fast at the sense of de ja vu.

"Do you want to know why I hexed the boy?" This casual talk about hurting Merlin made Gaius feel a wave of fury that he knew would rival the king's. He too made to take a step forward, and Nimueh turned her flashing eyes on him. Grateful that he wasn't flung against the wall – not being sure if his heart could take it at his age – Gaius glared as he realised that he couldn't move. He was completely frozen into place, not even able to open his mouth. Nimueh smiled sweetly at him and the physician felt a flash of horror. She could say anything she liked about Merlin, and he wouldn't be able to stop her.

"I hexed him because..." If she paused just to make Gaius' heart clench in horror, Nimueh got the effect she was after. "He just wouldn't stop getting in my way. He didn't want me to take Arthur, the foolish boy. And those who get in my way will feel my displeasure." Smirking at Gaius, Nimueh climbed off the bed and approached Uther. He had been allowed the use of his voice simply because his angry tirades always amused her. Gaius, however, she wasn't sure about. It was his words that had convinced her to leave Arthur behind all those years ago, and as a consequence she had to fight exceptionally hard to get what was hers. Even when she had been a respected sorceress, a member of the Court, the physician had always been able to make her squirm.

"Where is my son? Where is Arthur?" Uther was holding himself perfectly still even as he glared at Nimueh. It was as if he too remembered being held like this and knew that struggling would get him nowhere, apart from giving the witch what she wanted.

"I told you he is as good as my son." Nimueh hissed, and all mocking pretence was gone as she simply glared straight back. Inwardly, Gaius groaned. Those two would never be able to make their peace with each other, and it was the next generation that was suffering because of it.

"Where is he?" Uther yelled, fury tinged with just a hint of concern leaping into his eyes. In an ironic way, it made him look more alive than he had done for years. Nimueh turned away, muttering under her breath. By the time she turned back, there was an orb in her hand. Uther looked like he was going to flinch away from the magic, but then looked properly. From his angle, Gaius could just about see the image being shown.

"Arthur..." Uther practically whispered, eyes locked on the orb. Just visible, a figure could be seen. It was obvious he was in complete darkness even though the audience now could see him. Hanging from his wrists against a rough wall, Arthur's head was resting on his bare chest, eyes shut. Gaius wasn't sure if he was unconscious or Nimueh had done something else, but he could see the way Arthur's body was shaking in the cold.

"Let him go, right now..." Uther growled, but Nimueh just stepped back, the mocking smile back on her face.

"I'll tell him his father sends his regards, shall I?" The spell that fell from her lips this time made Gaius shut his eyes in resignation even as the spell holding both him and Uther dissolved. But by the time they moved, Nimueh and her orb were gone.

"He's strong, he'll fight..."

"Yes, Sire." But the look Uther gave Gaius betrayed what their voices could not. They hadn't been able to reason with the witch when she was their friend.

What chance did Arthur have?


	7. Chapter 7

**Thank you so much once again for the support with this, it really means the world! Enjoy!**

Merlin may have been able to sense when there was something magical watching and following him, but when it was something of an ordinary means posing a threat to him, the warlock remained oblivious. He had no idea there were two men following him as he sped from the camp as fast as he could, only sheer luck stopping him from using magic to bring his bag to him. He still hadn't quite decided what he was going to do when he reached his belongings. His now familiar friend of guilt was once more twisting a knife in his gut, the small voice in his head telling him he couldn't just leave Sir Leon like this considering everything the man had just done to help him. Merlin knew enough to know that had taken serious courage to go up against Bors, especially as it would potentially mean being ridiculed by his fellow knights for it. But Merlin wasn't prepared to stay in the camp and have abuse hurled at him whilst the knights went in the wrong direction trying to find Arthur. Not to mention it made using magic a little harder.

Even so, something was working in his favour. His magic was still linked to Nimueh's, and his bag happened to be in the right direction. Maybe he should just carry on going, surely any annoyance on Leon's behalf would be softened when Merlin turned back up with Arthur in tow? His mind was so focused on his dilemma that Merlin didn't quite realise how close the knights had been camping to his tree until he suddenly tripped over his bag. The item had fallen from the tree when he had and had just been sitting innocently there, nestled in the roots as if waiting for Merlin to come back for it. His foot caught on the strap and Merlin thought he had managed to stay standing through some wildly wind-milling arms. But as he tried to correct his balance, the roots joined in the attempt to trip him, and the warlock landed with a thud. Wincing, Merlin rubbed his back with a soft groan, making to stand back up again and get moving.

"Oh, I'd stay down there if I were you, _boy_, it's where you belong, after all." Merlin jumped, taken by surprise as a knight stepped from the shadows. Glaring, Merlin knew that Sir Jorah liked him no more than Bors did, and it was going to take some effort on Merlin's behalf to not get dragged back to the camp. His mind might have been in a quandary over what to do, but there was no way Merlin was about to let someone take the choice away from him.

"What do you want?" Merlin said quietly. His tone was soft and defiant, for there was no way Merlin was going to show respect to one of the men who seemed to go out of his way to make sure Merlin's life was hell back in Camelot. He wasn't sure whether Arthur knew how responsible some of his knights were for Merlin's clumsiness – a foot conveniently placed, a sword thrust out at a certain moment...

"I want you to learn your place, servant. You should be polishing my boots whilst the rest of the camp sleeps, not sneaking off out here like you are up to no good."

"I was fetching my belongings like Sir Leon – my temporary _master_ – told me to." Merlin shot back, feeling his magic stirring in frustration. Every moment he was linked to Nimueh's power meant he was getting closer to being detected, and right now, it was the only link he had to find Arthur. He couldn't lose it, yet he had no idea how to get rid of the noble. The man simply scoffed at his words.

"But yet, we all know that you don't do as you are told. Do you know the penalty for desertion for a knight is death?" Merlin mutely shook his head, standing back up as he did so. There was no way he was going to just stay sitting there, not with the way that Jorah was talking.

"You're so much less than a knight, true..." Swallowing, Merlin forced back the retort that was on the tip of his tongue and opted for simply glaring at the man as he hoisted his bag onto his shoulder, preparing to walk off. Jorah had made a point, Merlin never did as he was told. So why on earth should he stay and listen to this when he could be finding Arthur?

"So the penalty would be less."

"Why don't you just leave me alone?" Merlin snapped, unable to stop himself. Jorah seemed to love the sound of his own voice, especially when it came to threatening those he saw as being below him. Merlin so desperately wanted to turn the threats back on the man, leave him a trembling wreck on the forest floor once the knight realised quite who he was dealing with, but he knew that he would never be able to forgive himself if he did. Much as he wanted to give the man a taste of his own medicine, he knew that even beginning to stray down that path was a dangerous route indeed, one there was often no coming back from. So instead, Merlin turned his back on the knight, making to walk off.

He didn't even make it two steps before a hand grabbed him. His bag was wrenched off his shoulder again and thrown to the floor as Jorah spun him around. Not acting quick enough to defend himself, Merlin just about bit back a grimace as the man sharply back handed him.

"You will learn your place, _boy._"

"My place is by my master's side, who you are preventing me from finding!" Merlin spat, one hand gingerly feeling his split lip and wincing as his finger came away covered in blood. That had certainly stung.

"Your place," Jorah corrected, "is at my feet." He raised his fist, clearly intending to sink it into Merlin's stomach. But this time, the warlock was ready for him and he sprang back a step, eyes darting around. Jorah took a menacing one after him, and Merlin's eyes dropped to the floor. But it was far from an act of submission as he let the magic flare out of him, causing the knight to stumble over a rock that suddenly had appeared in front of him. As a root wrapped around his ankle at the same time, Jorah was jerked off his feet even as the plant resumed its normal position. Merlin smirked as he looked back up, his eyes fading back to blue.

"Arthur was right, you do need to work on your footwork." He called somewhat cheerfully as he took a step backwards. Heading towards his bag, the warlock made sure that he didn't turn around, he didn't want to turn his back on the knight. One thing Arthur had managed to teach him during the prince's numerous attempts to try and get his servant to at least hold the sword the right way up (that had only happened once, thank you very much!) was that a knight was just as deadly on the floor as they were standing up right.

"You insolent little..." Jorah attempted to climb to his feet, but slipped on a pebble. This time, Merlin had to laugh, especially considering that had been nothing to do with him.

"Did no one tell you..." The voice came from behind him seconds before Merlin backed into something solid. Swallowing hard, he glanced over his shoulder, the roof of his mouth going dry at seeing Sir Eric standing there. The man was like a mountain, and was as brutal as Jorah. Where he had come from, Merlin had no idea, but he cursed himself for thinking that Jorah would have come alone. He wouldn't have risked Merlin getting back to Leon to tell him what was going on. Merlin made to spring away from the giant of a man when hands gripped his upper arms tightly and he was pulled back.

Eric kept the servant pressed against him even as Merlin struggled, holding him with ease as he drew Merlin's arms behind him.

"Let me go!"

"You're in no place to give orders, servant. As I was saying, didn't anyone tell you not to laugh at your betters?"

"When I find someone better than me, I'll remember that!" Merlin yelled loudly, hoping his voice would carry even as his eyes scanned the surrounding area for anything that he could use against the men. With one in front of him and one behind, it wasn't as if their backs would be turned in order for him to use magic to defend himself again. Eric chuckled darkly in his ear before shoving Merlin forward, hard. Not expecting the movement, the warlock stumbled, landing back on his knees. Jorah had managed to get to his feet in that time, delivering a sharp kick into his stomach that had Merlin slumping to the floor, coughing. Eric moved forward, rolling Merlin onto his stomach with his foot before pulling his arms behind him. Merlin struggled, doing everything he could to get free. As he felt a burn of a rope slide over his wrists, Merlin growled. His vision momentarily went white as the rope brushed over his raw wrists, but he forced himself to focus through the pain, knowing that he had to keep his wits about him. It was hard though, considering the burns were pulsing and throbbing angrily at the rough treatment. Keeping his face turned to the floor, he allowed his eyes to flash and a branch off the tree above them came falling down towards Eric. But the man saw it coming and neatly stepped to one side.

"Bloody nature."

"Get off!" Merlin shouted wildly, his heart thudding hard as his arms were bound behind his back and Eric pulled him back into a kneeling position by the neck of his shirt. Momentarily chocking, Merlin stared as Jorah stepped forward, grabbing his chin and tilting his head up towards the knight. Held at this angle, there was no way Merlin would be able to use magic like this, they would kill him instantly. Although as the knight laughed cruelly, he wondered whether they weren't just planning to kill him anyway, in which case it would be better to go down fighting – another trait he had caught off Arthur.

"Gag the brat." Eric spat, keeping hold of Merlin as Jorah walked over to the warlock's bag. He sneered as he upturned the contents everywhere, bending down in order to pick up a spare shirt. Merlin struggled as the man tore a strip off it casually, before walking over and wrapping it firmly around the warlock's mouth.

"Do you still have your contacts in this part of the forest?" He muttered quietly to Eric even as he tied the gag off with a harsh knot, making Merlin wince as it dug into his split lip. It was getting harder and harder to focus now, his wrists were drowning out all other sensation as the rope rubbed against the wounds. He was just glad that Leon had wrapped them in such thick bandages, for he wasn't sure if he would even be conscious if that wasn't the case. Nimueh had certainly made sure he suffered for getting in her way, that was for sure.

"They'll be over by the lake tomorrow night."

"I'll tell the others we'll scout ahead. It's about time we got rid of this brat once and for all. Guard him, I'll be back in an hour and we'll set off at dawn."

Out of the corner of his eye, Merlin saw Eric nod his understanding even as Jorah began to walk off. The giant of a knight pushed Merlin in the small of his back, causing him to topple over and end up lying on the forest floor. The man propped himself up against a tree and watched the servant almost thoughtfully.

"The prince couldn't make a decent servant out of you, maybe my friends will make a decent slave." Merlin's eyes widened and his heart thudded almost painfully. Automatically, he made to struggle against the ropes, knowing that he had to get away before they reached the slavers. He had heard stories growing up that slavers knew a way to restrain someone with magic. He was never sure whether it was just his mother trying to stop her son from thinking he could defend himself against anyone, or whether it was actually true, but Merlin had no intention of finding out one way or the other.

However, Merlin hadn't slept for days. He had barely eaten, he was worried and he was sore. As he struggled against the ropes and accidentally caused them to rub against the burns, everything went white. The pain seemed to seep into every fibre of his being, it was the only thing he knew. He didn't even realise that he was screaming – albeit the sound was somewhat muffled by the material in his mouth – until silence once more fell. He looked towards Eric once more, seeing the man looking astonished, his hand already resting on his sword. Tears of agony seeped involuntary from the corner of Merlin's eyes, but he didn't even have time to feel embarrassed about it before everything caught up with him and the world went black.

He was unconscious before he hit the floor.

MMM

He could feel that his body was shaking in the cold, but that didn't quite match up with what Arthur's mind was telling him. He was hot, so very hot... almost like he couldn't escape it as awareness once more began to make itself known to his mind.

"Shh, shh. Hush now..." He hadn't even been aware that he was making a noise before that, but as the chains jangled against his small, jerking movements, Arthur could hear small whimpers coming from somewhere. Something in his mind clicked that it was him making the noise, and he tried to stop himself, but it was like it was out of his control.

"You could have made this so much easier on yourself." The voice murmured softly, and the prince was aware of a cool cloth being brushed across his forehead even as he tried to shy back from it. As he tried to force his eyes open, he coughed harshly. Immediately, a cup was placed against his lips and Arthur drunk, the feeling of the cool liquid soothing his burning throat. Why did he hurt so much? Why were his arms screaming at him and yet he couldn't seem to lower them? As the cup pulled away again, Arthur found the water had brought some clarity back, and part of him realised that he seemed to be feverish.

But there was no way he was resting in his bed with Gaius fussing over him and Merlin hovering uselessly in the background whilst pretending to be cleaning something. So where...

"Open your eyes, Arthur." That voice. He knew that voice, why did he know that voice? Another moan slipped past his lips before he could stop it and Arthur wanted to rebel. Not only did he have no intention of waking up, something felt right about doing the opposite of whatever this voice said.

"Don't be difficult now, I know the sedative has worn off, just open your eyes."

His head tossed away from the hand that was still lingering on his forehead, and Arthur winced as it collided with something hard. That was enough to make him open his eyes and he stared about him in confusion. Why was he in a cave? Why... Arthur gasped, immediately trying to force himself to struggle as he realised that he was shackled to the cave wall, feet dangling in the air. No wonder he hurt so much.

"Look at me, little prince." The hand was back, cupping his cheek and forcing his head around to face whoever it was that had been speaking to him. Arthur went with it, breathing in heavily through his nose whilst trying not to be sick. Every part of him seemed to be burning, and yet he could feel himself shivering in the cold air, the chill attacking his half-dressed state.

"Wh'e m'I?" He groaned, licking his lips as he tried for some more moisture. He knew now that he was definitely feverish, there was no way someone could be sweating in the cold temperature of the cave if not. It also explained the dull throb that had taken up residence in his head and the burning sensation in his throat. But even with his limited medical knowledge, Arthur knew it wasn't why there was a fire in the pit of his stomach, reaching out and wanting something. Yet wanting wasn't the right word, it was practically craving something.

"You don't remember?" Finally letting his eyes properly focus on the figure in front of him, Arthur stared at her for a long moment. Something was stirring in the back of his mind, her face was beginning to make images come forward and click into place. She smirked, almost as if knowing that the memories were slotting back together. Sighing, Arthur tried to turn his head away as he remembered precisely where he was and why it had taken that long to remember. Nimueh didn't let him as her hand moved from his cheek to his chin, keeping him still. That didn't stop Arthur glaring off to one side, refusing to meet her gaze.

"Well, it looks like it is beginning to take effect. It won't be long before the memories won't slot back into place, you'll just be let wondering wildly where you are. But don't worry, Arthur, I'll be there to fill in the gaps."

"Why..." Arthur broke off, coughing fiercely. His whole body jerked with it, the force of his coughs wracking through him. With nothing to support himself on, he could only wait until it finished and his body had stopped swinging, panting. "Why are you doing this?"

"This part precisely? That you are doing to yourself, my little prince. If you had stopped fighting me the first time, you would be in comfort now with a banquet spread around you. Not battling a fever chained to my wall."

"You know that is not what I meant." Arthur muttered hoarsely. He felt absolutely exhausted, yet remembered her words from just a few moments ago. No wonder he had been unable to stay awake, drugging him with her memory potion hadn't been enough, she had sedated him as well. If he was honest, Arthur found that he was inwardly smirking. He could almost sense the frustration she had shown the last time he was awake was still there, she was just fighting to keep it under control this time.

"Your father sends his regards." Nimueh replied smoothly, a grin crossing her face as Arthur's eyes narrowed into slits as he growled in anger.

"If you have so much as touched him..."

"You'll what? Just accept that you are mine, Arthur, and all of this will go away." She finally let go of his chin, brushing her hand across his sweaty forehead and pushing his hair back from his eyes. "I can make it all stop, all you have to do is give in. It can't be that hard, surely? Not the way you are feeling right now?"

"You know..." Arthur broke off, coughing again. He did want this to stop, especially now he was hurting so much. But he had been trained as a prince and a future king his entire life. A few discomforts would not be enough to break him down. "... that I will never stop fighting you."

"I feared you might say as much." Nimueh sighed, looking almost sorrowful as she let her hand drift down his face before finally stepping away properly. Arthur only hoped that his sigh of relief hadn't been heard by her. For a long moment, she just stood there, watching him. Arthur tried to glare back, but opted for just looking at the floor after only a few seconds. There was something so unnerving about her gaze, the way that she looked so confident that she would win even despite what Arthur had been throwing at her. If he was honest, that was what Arthur was worried about. He hadn't remembered a thing when he had woken up for a good few minutes. What happened when that time increased? His eyes flickered to her again as he caught movement out of the corner of his gaze, and Arthur felt himself swallow hard.

"No..."

She had another bottle in her hand, once more stepping closer.

"You know how this goes, little prince."

"Don't!" Arthur bit his lip, determined that he was going to fight her. But every time he had resisted, she had just forced it on him, he knew it was futile. But there was no way he was just going to allow himself to be drugged.

"Oh but you want it, don't you, Arthur?" Nimueh whispered, her eyes flaring for a moment. Arthur shivered as he felt something brush over him, but when he looked down, nothing was there. Nimueh, however, had a satisfied smirk on her face. "You can feel your body calling out for it, can't you? Feel it crave this little bottle, want the potion to slip into you once more and just make everything go away."

"You're deluded." Arthur muttered, trying not to squirm. The problem was, she had a point. The craving feeling he had been experiencing since waking up had intensified on seeing the bottle, and something in him lurched with the knowledge that he would be able to get some more. He had heard Gaius warn the knights of being addicted to stronger forms of pain relief, to want it even when they no longer needed it. Was that what was happening to him?

A hand on his jaw prised his mouth open even as Arthur once more made the point of turning his head. It didn't matter what his body wanted, his mind was stronger and he was not going to let this happen. But his stubbornness could only get him so far. He resisted as the bottle was placed against his lips, but as soon as the first drop touched his tongue, he was almost trying to gulp it down. He might have been strong of mind, but sometimes even a prince couldn't fight against their own body.

"It won't be long now, little prince." Nimueh whispered, a small smile on her face as Arthur glared at something over her shoulder, a flush that had nothing to do with his fever spreading over his cheeks. A few more doses, and he would be begging her for it, regardless of his attempts to resist.

As the fresh lot of sedative worked its way into his body, Arthur tried to deny that there were tears in his eyes as the fever made itself known once more. The throb in his head intensified and his throat almost seemed to be on fire. Unlike before, he didn't fight against the effects but let his exhausted body give in almost straight away. At least unconscious, he wouldn't hurt any more.

MMM

Merlin let out a soft moan, instantly stiffening as he felt himself moving. He wriggled his fingers and legs, making sure not to move his wrists as he could still feel the rope around them. For a moment, he couldn't work out what he was feeling, but then realised that he was sideways over a horse, a strong hand on the back of his neck keeping him not only still, but also stopping him from falling off with the steady movement of the beast.

"He's waking up."

"Then send him back under." Merlin whimpered as the horse stopped, lifting his head blearily. It was late, everything was in darkness and he couldn't make out where they were. The hand on his neck disappeared and there was a thud as whoever it was jumped down from the saddle. Letting his head hang again, Merlin swallowed awkwardly behind the gag, diving desperately for his magic. He had to get out of here, he had to...

"Why do you want him under? There is no one around."

"I'm supposed to be catching slave traders, not doing business with them. No one can get so much as a hint of what really goes on out here." It must have been Eric's horse he was on if the snatches of conversation were anything to go by, as the voice had moved from behind him and was now coming around to where Merlin had taken to wriggling his whole body. He couldn't seem to get a grip on his magic, his senses not yet having cleared enough for him to think about what it was that he needed to do.

"Who do you sell?"

"Well," Merlin could almost feel Eric's smirk as a pair of boots entered his vision. "Have you ever had trouble getting a girl into your bed?"

"I tend to use my title."

"True..." Merlin shook his shoulders, trying to do something dislodge himself from the horse. A hand clamped down on the scruff of his neck once more as Eric's other hand busied with something out of Merlin's eye line. But the man had so much power in just that one hand, it was enough to keep Merlin's scrawny form still. "But then they just resist you, or stare blankly. I can make them do anything I want, even get them begging to do it. It's amazing what a woman would do if you have her brat, or sweetheart ready to be handed over to slavers."

"And do you free them afterwards?"

"Of course not. I keep the women though, they tend to be somewhat broken after that."

Merlin felt sick at the conversation that was going on around him, kicking out into thin air desperately as he tried to find a way down. The horse whined slightly, shifting with Merlin's movement and the warlock did it again. Maybe if he could get the mare to bolt... His mind was beginning to clear and Merlin could feel the spark of his magic begin to once more reappear. Another minute or so, and then he would be back in control, and would teach these knights just what he thought of their lewd behaviour. Once he got Arthur back, Merlin was going to make sure the prince knew precisely what some of his men got up to behind his back, dishonouring everything it was to be a knight.

"Stop struggling, boy. Jorah, come and hold this damn horse." Another set of boots entered Merlin's vision and he could just about see Jorah's hand holding the reigns. There went his plan to make the horse bolt then... but the magic was almost there, just a moment longer and he would no longer be defenceless.

All thoughts of escape were driven from his mind as a hand fisted in his hair, jerking his head up. Unable to stop himself, Merlin moaned behind the gag, tears springing to his eyes at the harsh grip and the way that his neck was craned back awkwardly. With his hands also tied, the unusual position sent waves of pain shooting down his back that caused him to try and kick out again. But although the horse shifted, Jorah had a good grip. She wouldn't be running off anywhere. He could finally see what it was that Eric had been doing and couldn't stop a frown from crossing his face at seeing the plain looking cloth in the man's hand.

Keeping his chin tilted up, Eric clamped his hand on the back of Merlin's neck once more, holding his head still. Merlin knew the split second before it happened what he was about to do and managed to suck in a sharp breath of fresh air before the cloth was clamped over his mouth and nose.

"You can't hold your breath forever, servant." Eric sighed, sounding faintly amused as he pressed it closer, making sure no air could get to Merlin. For a few seconds, Merlin glared back, determined that he wasn't going to give in despite the fact that he was tied to a horse. But not breathing caused his magic to slip again. A sudden bolt of horror shot through him as something seemed to snap.

His link to Nimueh's magic had been broken! He had no easy way of finding the prince now, he had no idea what direction to even start in. It was true he still had his original spell, but it was obvious to even those who were oblivious to magic, and with so many people in the forest... Struggling wildly, Merlin automatically let out a muffled cry of frustration, causing Eric to smirk.

Almost immediately, he could feel the effects of the drug flooding his system. He moaned weakly, trying to fight against it and get down, but it was as if his body was no longer listening to him even as his eyes flickered.

"Sleep, boy." Eric let go of his neck and Merlin could vaguely hear the sounds of Jorah moving back to his own horse. But the sound was muffled, and Merlin realised with a start he didn't even notice Eric move until the man was back behind him. Once more shaking himself, Merlin attempted to force his eyes open, but warlock or not, even he couldn't fight against something that strong.

As the horses moved into a steady trot and Eric and Jorah began conversing once more in casual tones as if kidnapping and trading with slavers was just an everyday occurrence, Merlin was dragged under once again.


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you so much once again for all of the lovely reviews and support, it truly means the world to me.**

He was waking up again, he could feel it. It wasn't so much that alertness was coming back to him, but the pain. Every nerve felt like it was on fire, his arms were screaming at him because of the position they had been forced to hold his weight in for so long and he could feel himself shaking with the fever. He was coughing again before he even truly realised that he was awake. Almost immediately, he could feel a cup of water pressed against his lips and he drank greedily, letting his head fall with another cough when he was done.

The liquid had helped bring some clarity back to him, and Arthur managed to open his eyes. They almost immediately went wide as he realised that he didn't know where he was, didn't know what he was doing here. Why wasn't he back in bed if he was feeling this bad?

"Shh..." He couldn't see the person to whom the voice belonged, and somehow, that scared him. His breathing quickened as he desperately tried to piece together what was happening, why he was somehow chained in a cave, but more importantly, why he couldn't remember. A hand entered his vision holding another phial, and something within him lurched. For a moment, Arthur thought that he was going to throw up, before realising that it wasn't a queasy feeling, but a longing one. Whatever was in that bottle made things better, of that he was sure. A small noise echoed around the cave and it took him a moment to realise that it was him whimpering, but the bottle moved closer. As soon as it touched his lips, Arthur found his tongue seeking out the liquid, almost chasing it back into the bottle in his desperation to get it into his body. As soon as he started swallowing, the uncomfortable longing sensation began to settle down and he almost sighed in relief. Maybe it was some sort of pain relief?

Pushing the thoughts of the mysterious liquid that he was still drinking to one side, Arthur tried to focus on where he was once again. But instantly, a warm and comforting feeling settled over his limbs. He just about registered the thought that maybe the liquid wasn't good after all when he fell back asleep.

As soon as Arthur sagged once more, Nimueh smiled softly, stepping into view and stroking back his hair. She whispered a word and the chains suddenly lengthened as Arthur's body was lowered to the floor. He was still kept restrained in an upright position, but his feet were touching the floor.

"Not long now," she murmured, pulling out a cloth and tenderly wiping the sweat from his brow. He had wanted the potion, no one could deny that. She knew that she would still have to keep a close eye on him, that knowing what the Pendragons were like, this could all be some sort of trick in order to lull her into a false sense of security. But he hadn't stayed awake long enough for the memories to slot back into place, meaning by the time he next awoke having ingested another dose, it would take even longer. _If_ they came back at all.

Tipping his head up, Nimueh tipped a strengthening tonic down his throat, her hand softly caressing his neck until he swallowed. The fever was helping to weaken his mind, but she didn't want his body weakened too much. After all, once he had stopped fighting her, then her plan would be back on track. Right now, she was behind schedule, and couldn't shake the feeling that something had been watching. She could feel something latching onto her magic, but it had snapped free again just before she had attempted to locate the source. Somehow, she knew that she wouldn't have to look to far, Merlin was still out there. But her latest scrying had shown that he wouldn't be too much of a threat right now, not unconscious and on his way into slavery. Unfortunately for him, the rumours he had heard about them being able to restrain someone with magic was true.

Making Leon turn on him had been a show for Arthur's benefit. But Nimeuh knew that most knights didn't need an incentive to turn on a servant, and it seemed Merlin's luck had run out. Whilst she would have quite liked the challenge – she hadn't met anyone that powerful for a long time- but this plan had gone wrong enough already. She had underestimated Arthur, and it was costing her precious days. She couldn't afford to underestimate his warlock as well, for she knew it would be more than time she would lose if that was the case.

MMM

A cold stream of icy water was what brought Merlin back to consciousness, his whole body jerking against the shock and causing him to let out a muffled groan as it once again pulled on his wrists. Waiting for the shaking to stop and for his wrists to settle, Merlin didn't immediately open his eyes, and found that it only caused a foot to nudge him none too gently in the ribs. Feeling like he didn't have a choice, Merlin peeled his eyes open and winced in the bright sunlight streaming into his face. He was lying on his back, hands trapped underneath him where they were still tied and the gag was still firmly in place. As Eric stepped over him, Merlin almost sighed in relief as the giant of a man blocked out the sun and allowed his eyes to relax.

Only for him to then shut them with a groan. If the sun was that bright, it had to be mid-late morning at least. Would Leon have come looking for him when he realised that Merlin hadn't returned the night before? Or had his captors already told them some lie about where he was? A third thought pushed its way into his mind, but Merlin refused to think about it too deeply. Would Leon even notice that he was gone, he was just a servant, after all?

"Up you get, sunshine." Eric called, bending down and grabbing the back of Merlin's collar, yanking him upright and planting him on his feet. The warlock almost fell straight back over again when the man let go, but managed to correct his footing just in time. He didn't think that Eric was going to let that go somehow, and glancing up, he saw Jorah leaning casually against a tree. The horses' reigns where in the man's hand and his arms were folded across his chest, smirking as he watched Merlin struggling.

"We've got a long way to go and not much time to do it in, so get moving." Jorah glanced at Eric before nodding, tying the reigns to the tree and walking over. Merlin didn't have time to see what it was that Eric had gestured before he was grabbed firmly from behind, pinned still as Jorah prised the gag out, tipping his head back. Eric held his bound hands in one hand and rested his other hand against Merlin's throat, tightening his grip just enough to be threatening whilst keeping Merlin's head there. Jorah pulled out a flask, released the top and smirked cruelly. He began to tip the contents down Merlin's throat.

The warlock choked, coughing and spluttering as he struggled to swallow as the liquid splashed into his mouth and ran down his chin. But then he choked even more as it burnt, clearly being some sort of alcohol. Jorah laughed as he continued to pour faster than Merlin could swallow.

"Enough." Eric finally grunted, moving his hand to cover Merlin's mouth and stop Jorah. The man grinned but pulled back and Eric pushed Merlin forward. Coughing and spluttering, the warlock fell to his knees, trying to gulp down air even as Eric leant forward and forced the gag back in his mouth. Eyes watering from the burn of the liquid, Merlin was left on his knees gasping as Jorah swung himself onto his saddle. Eric had disappeared from his eye line, but swiftly reappeared again, a length of rope in his hands. Finally getting his breathing under control, Merlin attempted to jerk back as Eric looped it over his neck, but all the knight had to do was pull and Merlin froze as a knot was formed. Satisfied that it was tight enough, Eric mounted his own horse, pulling Merlin to his feet by the rope as he did so.

"If I were you, boy, I wouldn't slip. If you do, your neck will break if you are lucky, you'll be strangled to death if you aren't." Without another word, Eric nudged his horse into a walk, and Merlin had no choice but to stumble behind. He was desperately trying to get a grip on his magic, but whatever they had given him was muddling his senses, he could barely even see straight, let alone cast a spell. Knowing his luck, he would do something that would cause him to slip and be dragged to his death rather than being free of his captors.

Unfortunately, his senses didn't properly start to function until exhaustion had set in and the sun was beginning to drop again. Every time he thought that he would be able to work some sort of magic to try and get away, something had happened to jerk on the rope. Each time it had caused Merlin's heart to pound uncomfortably hard as he struggled to stay standing, making sure that his footing was still secure whilst he jogged on. By the time he had recovered from each slip, the magic had gone again, his own fear clouding his mind. His head was pounding by the time the afternoon drew on from lack of fluid and his stomach was growling in protest at the exercise he was putting his body through whilst refusing to feed it. Eric and Jorah ate on the go, not wanting to give him the respite by stopping for an hour or two. They made sure that he was watching though.

Finally, Merlin could go no further. He fell to his knees in exhaustion as the horses came to a stop, the slowly rising moon now reflecting of a stretch of water in front of them. They were at a lake, the same place where Eric had claimed that the slavers would be waiting. Merlin was too exhausted to feel afraid though, but just mutely knelt there, bound and gagged as people spilled from the trees surrounding them.

One greeted Eric as an old friend, casting his eyes over Merlin in such a predatory way that the warlock shifted uncomfortably. Only now he could feel that the magic was back in his control, and it was no good to him. He had no idea how many men were surrounding them, and still wasn't sure whether the rumours that they would be able to restrain him were true or not. There was no way he was going to risk it, not with a rope still around his neck. Sitting there in a daze, Merlin didn't quite register the salvers setting up camp, three cages being pulled into the area. One had a few people huddled in it, the others were empty. But other slaves roamed the area, a few being pulled onto the men's laps, or having leering comments and looks thrown their way.

"Take your pick." The man greeting Eric smirked at Jorah's look, but the knight didn't need to be asked twice, grabbing the first girl that walked past him and dragging her off behind the trees. Merlin could hear the muffled cries and found his anger sparking into life, clearing his mind. He glanced up, just in time to be sharply backhanded as the slaver came to a stop in front of him.

"He's got a sharp tongue in his head as well, providing you can keep him civil." Eric finished saying, picking up the end of Merlin's rope and holding it taught enough so that the warlock couldn't so much as flinch without it digging in painfully. Letting the defiance spark out of his eyes, Merlin glared at the man as Eric's hand came to a stop against the gag, clearly preparing to undo it.

"No, leave it on. He's not allowed to talk until I know."

"Know?"

"Bring the witch!" The man yelled over his shoulder, and Merlin felt his heart pounding hard. Two men came walking into view, both gripping the arms of a girl hanging limply between them. Tired looking eyes finally lifted as she was flung to her knees in front of Merlin, and even despite the gag, Merlin gasped.

An iron collar rested around her neck, and he didn't need to ask to know that the rumours were true. His own magic could feel the repression even from a few paces away, recoiling and bucking in what seemed to be a mixture of anger and fear. He had always thought that his magic was like a wild animal, and just like any wild animal, it was sensing a cage and reacting to it. Tears swam in his eyes as he glanced at the girl, wondering how on earth she wasn't simply screaming. If his magic was reacting this strongly from a distance, what on earth must it feel like to her?

"You know the drill, wench. Tell us the truth, and you can eat tonight. Lie, and Brandon there will teach you a lesson. Does he have magic?" Merlin's eyes went wide with fear as one of the men unfastened the collar and let it fall to the floor. The girl gasped, reaching up to rub her neck whilst her eyes flooded gold, her magic clearly being released. One of the men behind her drew his dagger in warning and she flinched.

"So this is why you don't want him talking, you don't want him to threaten or bribe her into saying something else?" Eric sounded sickeningly interested as the girl reached forward, her hands coming to rest on either side of Merlin's temples. He flinched back, although wasn't sure if anyone had noticed considering the tight grip that Eric had on the rope meaning that he barely even moved. Left speechless, he looked at her pleading. Considering how strong his magic was, he wasn't sure whether having a collar that strong on wouldn't simply kill him. Having magic since he was born meant it was more than just a part of him, it _was_ him. Could a person have their very essence restrained and live to tell the tale? His breath hitching in his throat, Merlin could feel that he was shaking. All thoughts of Arthur were pushed aside as he realised this could be the end of him.

He wasn't sure whether anyone else heard her sharp intake of breath as Merlin felt something probe into his mind. His magic was trying to react, to try and force the intruder out, but he knew not only would that give away to everyone that he did indeed have the gift, it would also hurt the girl. Regardless of whether she told them or not, he would not see her harmed. It wasn't her fault the men were using her like this, and considering she looked half starved, he knew the promise of food would mean something to her. But he could also feel her shock at what she was finding, not to mention his level of control at being able to hold the magic back.

He didn't just have magic, he _was _magic.

"Well? Do we collar the freak or just throw him in the cage?" The man's harsh voice made Merlin blink, finally looking deep into the girl's eyes. Maybe it was because she was practically in his head, but it was as if he could see into her soul. He could see past the exhaustion and pain, past the fear and desperation, and found something else. A hint of awe and hope was more than apparent, and it was directed at him. Frowning in confusion, Merlin found that she looked down slightly and he followed her gaze. Just visible past the sleeve of her tattered dress, a symbol was visible. She was a Druid. Not only could she clearly sense his magic, she also knew precisely who she was. Shaking his head the tiniest amount, Merlin hoped that the men didn't see as he tried to beg her to keep quiet.

"_Emrys?"_ The voice echoed through his head and he jumped, accidentally breaking the contact between them.

"He is of no threat to you. He has no more magic than you do." She said quietly, causing the slaver to smirk in satisfaction and clip the collar back around her neck. Merlin's magic had settled whilst she had been freed, but bucked into life at the restrain. She caught his eye and smiled softly, a sign that it was alright, that everything was going to be okay now that he was here.

"How much for him?" The girl was dragged to her feet and pulled away as Merlin felt the rope around his neck passing hands as money was exchanged the other way. How he wanted to tell Eric that he had just been swindled. Whatever the slaver had paid, it was definitely not what Merlin was worth, not if they found out who he was, what he was capable of.

"Pleasure doing business as always, m'lord. Now, I know you like them feisty." A hand gripped Merlin's upper arm as he was hauled to his feet. A boy only a few years older was pushed past, hands also bound behind his back and Eric leered, dragging him away the same way Jorah had disappeared. Merlin thought he was going to throw up as hands began to pull him away and a scream came from the direction Eric had just gone in.

"Leave him bound, throw him in with the girl. We'll deal with him in the morning. Another restless night with no food or water should stop him running, we'll be able to examine him then and find out which market we should head for." Merlin almost stumbled over his own feet as the pace quickened, automatically making to struggle but then realising that it would make his wrists worse. He also couldn't use magic yet, not until he knew that no one was watching or there would be a collar around his neck faster than he could blink. He had to just let it happen, at least for now until he could figure out a way of getting out of here.

A hand untied the rope from around his neck as they came to a stop in front of one of the cages. The only occupant was the girl, who shrunk away as the men approached, making herself as small as possible. Whilst one pulled the rope off, the other unlocked the door and they bodily threw him in. With his hands still tied, Merlin landed awkwardly, wincing as the men laughed and slammed the door shut, the lock catching almost immediately.

Navigating himself into a sitting up position, Merlin jumped to find that the girl had come forward. She reached for him with shaky hands, and he stayed still as she gently tugged the gag out of his mouth, letting it come to a rest around his neck and causing Merlin to rotate his jaw stiffly.

"Emrys?" She whispered, the awe he had sensed before now more than obvious in her voice as a small smile crossed her face. "What are you doing here, why haven't you freed yourself?"

"It's a long story," Merlin whispered back, letting his head rest against the bars and his eyes flicker shut slightly. A soft humming noise filled the air and he felt a hand stroke his hair. Even as he forced his eyes open again, the girl had tugged on his arm, persuading him to lay down. Doing as he was told, Merlin found his head cushioned in her lap even as she continued stroking his hair.

"Rest, Emrys, I'll make sure no one can hurt you here. Tales can wait for the sun."

"It's Merlin." The warlock muttered hoarsely, exhaustion already beginning to pull at him. How many days had it been since he had slept properly? How many days since he had last been in Camelot, since Arthur had been taken? Thoughts of his destiny sent a brief fighting spirit coursing through him, but he was too tired to do anything about it right now.

"Arianna. I'll keep you safe, just like you will one day keep all of my people safe."

Merlin didn't even have time to question what she meant before he had fallen asleep, his hands still bound behind him.

MMM

It had taken Arthur nearly all day to regain consciousness again, the build up of the sedative keeping him subdued for far longer this time. Immediately, he could feel the difference with having his feet on the floor, and it had managed to give him enough control to pretend that he was still asleep. Something in the back of his mind told him that he had to focus, he had to think and that would provide the answers for why he was in a cave. But to his dismay, nothing was becoming clear. He could vaguely remember something happening with Merlin and Leon, but not what. He also had a vague recollection that he had escaped, meaning that whoever was holding him here was an enemy. Well, the fact that he was still chained to the wall might have given that one away, but Arthur was determined to work things through logically in order to make sense of what was going on.

It wasn't working though. It had been at least an hour he reckoned since he had returned to consciousness, and he still couldn't remember the events that led to him being in this position. Although his head was throbbing, it was with less intensity than before, and that just disturbed Arthur even more. If he was still deep in the clutches of the fever, he could blame the illness on why he couldn't remember what was happening. But he could feel that whilst he was still ill, he was also beginning to get over it, to fight it off again. Whatever was making him forget was something else, not the fever. He wondered whether it was the thing that had his body trembling in want, desperately needing something although Arthur didn't know what.

"How long are you going to pretend for?" The voice had sounded a few times since he had been awake, yet Arthur had forced himself to remain limp and still. At first, it had worked, she had clearly believed that he was still unconscious, but as time had passed, her patience had been wearing thin. Her last question sounded nothing short of annoyed, but Arthur still forced himself to stay still. If he could really wind her up, then maybe she would make a mistake, something that would either give him a clue as to where/why he was here, or give him the chance to escape. Already her annoyed voice was telling him that she was the one responsible for his predicament, maybe she would let something else slip?

But his pretence was destroyed as he heard a word whispered and a sharp pain across his chest. His eyes flew open with a gasp as he glanced down at his chest, only to see three long scratches in his skin, bleeding lightly.

"One day, you are going to realise that not fighting me is going to make things so much easier for you." Arthur growled, struggling against his chains as he desperately scrambled for the memories avoiding him. What was making matters worse was that he knew they were, knew that something was making him forget rather than simply not knowing. But this time, he couldn't find anything to give him clarity and he wrenched himself forward in anger. Nimueh took an easy step back, her eyes flashing and causing the chain to shorten just enough that Arthur was forced to stand on tiptoes. The prince couldn't help but wince.

"Do you want to be hanging again?" He simply glared in response and her eyes flashed again, causing him to groan as he was hoisted back into the air.

"No!" He fought frantically, but was still ashamed to admit that his word had come out as something of a plea. Nimueh seemed to notice and she smirked, lowering him back to the floor.

"Stop struggling or you're going up again. Do you think you can take that anymore, little prince?" His chest heaving as he tried to suppress a cough, Arthur was reminded forcibly of just how weak he was in comparison to her. If he had any chance of getting out of here, he had to make her believe that he was cracking. Keeping his eyes on the floor, he softly shook his head.

Nimueh almost seemed to immediately melt, stepping closer and putting a finger under his chin, forcing his head up.

"Stop fighting, Arthur. Just give in to me, and all this will go away. See, you said no, I listened. Just make things easier for yourself." Despite wanting to pretend, Arthur found that his pride got in the way. He couldn't listen to her mocking him like this. He might not be able to remember why it was he was here or what was happening, but he did know that a Pendragon never gave up. Drawing his head back, he brought it slamming forward, headbutting the witch as hard as he could. Nimueh stumbled back with a hiss of pain and anger, and Arthur didn't even see her eyes flash before he was hanging in the air again, chains wrapping around his ankles as well and pinning his legs together.

Satisfied that he was restrained, Nimueh took another step forward, wondering quite what it took to break down Arthur. She could see in his eyes that he had no idea what was going on, and yet was still fighting furiously. In fact, the less he remembered, the more he seemed to fight. In a way, Nimueh knew it was his way of hiding his fear, but she had had enough. She let her eyes flash at the bottle already clutched in her hand and a spell rolled off her tongue as she removed the sedative. She had to bring forth his fear, stop him from trying to put on a brave front. Whilst it was admirable, she knew it kept him fighting.

Placing one hand on his stomach, she said another spell. Arthur instantly cried out, unable to stop himself. All the cravings he had been managing to suppress came flooding to the surface, increasing tenfold and causing him to buck against the chains. He wasn't trying to fight Nimueh this time, but himself. He wanted whatever it was that would make this feeling go away.

Nimueh stepped just out of his reach, waving the bottle in front of him. Arthur instantly went still, and she knew that somehow, he was recognising it, knowing that was what his body wanted. He swallowed hard as his eyes went wide, and she suppressed a smirk at hearing him whimper in need. Very slowly, she moved the bottle from side to side; her suspicions confirmed as Arthur's eyes never left it, following its movement without blinking. He wanted it.

Very slowly, she pulled the stopper out, and heard him bite back another whimper of want. It didn't matter how defiant he was, his body was craving this, drowning out all other senses until the only thing he could think about was the small bottle clutched in her hand.

"Do you want it, Arthur?"

She could see that he hated this. He wanted to scream and fight, but couldn't. Not when he was almost shaking with need, wanting the potion more than he wanted to escape. Technically, he wasn't at that stage yet himself, but her spell had speed up the addiction process, knowing that she had to bring him under her control.

"You have to say it."

"Give it to me!" Arthur demanded, the chains rattling as he twisted furiously, trying to get to the contents. Nimueh smirked.

"That's not going to work here, little prince. Beg me for it."

Arthur's pride caused him to shake his head even as his eyes stayed locked on the bottle. Knowing that he wouldn't be able to keep it up, Nimueh sighed dramatically, making to turn away.

"Wait..." It was barely a whisper, but she turned, one eyebrow raised expectantly.

"Yes, Arthur?"

"I..." He couldn't get the words out though, too stubborn to the very end. She waved the bottle tauntingly in front of him.

"Is this what you want? You'll have to do better than that." It was as if she could see the battle going on in his head through the expression in his eyes. He certainly had his mother's eyes, she couldn't help reflect as she waited for him to make a decision. Not only through colour, but through their sheer expressiveness. Uther's were cold these days, but even in his youth he had never truly shown his emotions through his eyes unless it was to his Queen. She could practically read Arthur's mind through his eyes, and knew the instant he had given in. No doubt he was thinking some military tactic, losing the battle to win the war and all of that. All Nimueh knew was that she was finally winning as he opened his mouth.

"Please," he begged, his voice coming out as nothing more than a whisper as he tried to blink away the tears as his eyes stayed fixed on the bottle. Nimueh smiled softly.

"Now that wasn't so hard, was it?" And with that, she proceeded to give Arthur what he wanted as she once again drugged the Prince of Camelot.


	9. Chapter 9

**Thank you so much once again!**

Merlin wasn't sure how long he had slept for, but it was dark when he heard a muffled sob and felt a biting grip on his arm. His eyes flew open wildly, one glance showing him Arianna crouched in the corner of the cage, shaking with tears running down her face. But he didn't get the chance to ask what was wrong as the grip on his upper arm tightened and suddenly, Merlin was being dragged out of the cage. His mind a confused mess still trying to process what was happening, he didn't get the chance to react before he was thrown to his knees, hands still tied behind him and Eric looming over him. Merlin glared up at him defiantly, but all words were lost as someone moved in from behind. A hand grasped his neckerchief and pulled sharply upwards, holding it with just enough tension that Merlin couldn't get any words out, but could still breathe.

"It's a shame, you know." Eric began almost conversationally, and the warlock awkwardly swallowed when he realised the man had a knife in his hands and was twirling it casually. Jorah came into view behind him, and whatever it was that Eric was planning, the man didn't know what it was. Even in the moonlight, Merlin could see the confusion on his face. They had reached the slavers just as night had fallen, meaning Merlin knew that it had to be starting to approach dawn by now. Why hadn't the knights gone? If they were expecting to get away with what they had done, then surely they would need to join the others?

"Don't you want to know what is a shame?" Merlin knew that Eric was mocking him and he said nothing, just pulling on the ties around his wrists as the man behind him kept the tension in his scarf firmly in place. Merlin knew he couldn't struggle too much or he would risk choking.

"It's a shame that we ran into bandits..." Merlin only had time to frown before Eric had turned, his knife slashing across Jorah's arm and making the man cry out in pain and surprise. His good hand immediately clutched over the bleeding wound and he stared at his comrade with wide eyes. "How they managed to injure my dear friend here. But if they could hurt a knight... I don't know how I'm going to tell your new master that his servant had his throat slit. Of course, we tried to save you, but alas, just weren't quick enough."

Merlin stared at him with wide eyes as the knife came closer. He flinched back, his magic growling within him, preparing to throw the man back from him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Arianna come forward. Catching her eye, Merlin frowned when she shook her head slightly, clearly telling him not to lash out. Trying to understand what she was getting out – did she want him to be killed? – Merlin didn't notice Eric getting closer until a sharp pain across the top of his thigh made him focus with a gasp.

Blood was flowing freely from the long cut that stemmed from his knee up over the top of his leg. Merlin gritted his teeth, trying not to let any sign of pain escape him, but it was hard when the tension was suddenly released from his scarf and he felt the garment being ripped off. Whoever had been holding it took hold of his bound hands, making him groan despite himself as he felt the burns on his wrists catching again. Trying to force himself to focus, Merlin could only watch as Eric took the scarf and pressed it hard against the cut in his leg. Merlin watched mutely as the blood began to stain the fabric, and when he was clearly satisfied that he had enough, Eric pocketed the piece of material. Bending down, he gripped Merlin's jaw tightly.

"Maybe the next time we meet, _slave_, you'll know how to serve properly." Pushing Merlin away again, he laughed loudly. "Bring me the boy."

The same terrified young man from before was pushed to his knees in front of Eric as Merlin was hauled upright. Turning away, feeling sick to the stomach as Eric forced himself on the youth, Merlin didn't struggle as he was thrown back in the cage, the wound on his leg throbbing at him.

"Keep looking away." Arianna was there almost immediately, her hand resting comfortingly on his head and turning him away from the rest of the camp. All Merlin could see was her, the bars of the cage and the forest beyond. His wrists were pulsing at him, and he knew that he would soon be forced to use magic, no matter what the consequences. If he didn't see to his wounds, then no doubt they would get infected. That was not going to help him find Arthur.

"Why did you stop me?" he whispered hoarsely, trying to drown out the noises coming from behind him. Arianna stroked his hair soothingly, almost in the way that his mother used to do when he had been nothing more than a boy. She could have only been a few years older than him, yet there was such a calmness to her that made her seem a lot older. "I could have stopped this, I could have saved him."

"And what about young Rafeal, tied to the stake over there whilst the men beat him? Or Loretta, in that tent with two of those _pigs?_ They think this is training us, Merlin. If you reacted, you might have been able to save Michael, true. But they are everywhere, you simply would have been collared and then I would be the one to pay the price for lying to them about what you can do. The time will come, don't worry. No true harm will come to you here, I won't let it. But you must bide your time, or no matter what your intentions, you truly will be stuck in slavery."

Merlin listened silently, the anger causing his magic to bubble just under the surface. He could understand what she was saying, it was similar to the sort of thing Gaius would come out with. Too many times since he had been in Camelot he had tried to use his magic to save just one person and it had ended up causing more pain for everyone else, the incident with Gwen's father was a clear example of that. But in a way, it was comforting to know that he was only _just_ holding back his magic. If anyone tried to lay a finger on him again, he would lose that control. As it would be acting so instinctively, Merlin not controlling it in the slightest, no one would be able to get close enough to collar him. Right now, he wasn't up to that, he was still thinking too much. He needed to wait until he would simply react.

"I won't let this happen." He promised, trying for a moment to see if he could navigate his bound hands around to the front of his body, but between his wrists and his thigh, the pain was too much. Glancing over his shoulder at the sound of hooves, he turned just in time to see Eric and Jorah ride off. The former looked more than satisfied, but the latter was pale, still clutching his arm. The knight caught Merlin's eye as he rode past, and Merlin was convinced he saw something stir in the depths of the man's eyes. It didn't look like he realised just how involved Eric was with the slavery business, and it seemed to be making him uncomfortable despite the fact he had been the one to suggest selling Merlin in the first place.

Merlin watched them go, sighing as the very first signs of dawn made themselves apparent. Another day, and he was still no closer to finding his missing destiny.

"They won't move until late afternoon now, they'll want their wits about them if they know there are knights nearby. You should get some rest whilst you still can. Once we are on the move, you might not get another chance." Arianna's voice was soft and reassuring, and Merlin nodded.

He would rest for now, he knew that he needed to regain some of his strength. But when he awoke next, he vowed to himself that he would be getting out of here. And taking every single slave with him, he was not going to let this happen.

MMM

Arthur growled, thrashing as much as the chains would allow him to. He was gasping like a drowning man would gasp for oxygen, his whole body jerking as he tried to reach the bottle that was just beyond his reach. He was chained by his hands and feet to the cave wall, although his shoulders were hurting so much he thought he might have been hanging from his wrists for a while. He wasn't sure though, he couldn't remember.

In fact, he couldn't remember what he was doing here, who he was fighting against or why there were other people he should have been worried about. He could barely even remember Merlin's name, let alone the scene that Nimueh had forced him to watch that showed his most loyal knight turning on his servant. Arthur had ingested so much of the poison that the last thing he remembered was almost a month ago, way before the feast and long before any of this had happened. The worst part was, he had done it all himself.

Once she had started him begging, Nimueh knew that her plan now could be put in motion. A few hours and several doses later, she had unchained him, restraining him in a way that had given him more movement. Arthur could only think about his body's craving for the drug now, the more he drank, the worst he was getting. To start with, he had managed to restrain himself from yelling for it, clearly remembering enough of what was going on in order to not try and make himself seem weak. But he was caught in a vicious circle, for the more he drank, the less he remembered. And not remembering what it was he was supposed to be fighting against had proven to be an interesting thing indeed. Instead of refusing to drink the potion, Arthur was realising that he was having to fight to get to it. As a result of that, he wanted it even more. A Pendragon denied something was a fierce thing to behold. By not simply giving it to him, Arthur thought that it meant he wasn't supposed to have it. Which, just like his father, meant he wanted it.

After all, it wasn't just whilst he had been in the cave that Nimueh had been watching Arthur. She had been watching the young prince for years, silently fuming over the fact that Gaius had been right all those years ago. People did love Arthur, and were happy to show it in a way that his own father wouldn't. She knew that she would not have been able to give him a childhood, but part of Nimueh had hoped that Uther would leave Arthur isolated. A bitter and angry prince would have joined her cause willingly. But the physician hadn't let that happen, and instead, Arthur had grown up like every other spoilt prince, happy enough whilst he didn't have to think about the duties that were going to fall on his shoulders. Her situation had only been made worse when Merlin had arrived on the scene, bursting Arthur out of his "prince" bubble, but instead giving him a firm and loyal friend, something he had never truly had before. She had been watching her plan unravel for the last twenty years, but now she was finally winning.

It was late afternoon now, and Arthur was fighting furiously. The chains were digging into his wrists and ankles as he strained to get to the bottle that was sitting on the floor only a few paces in front of him. Nimueh had stopped showing herself, knowing that Arthur couldn't remember who she was. All she needed was for him to drink a few more doses, and then she could appear again. But alone, lost and confused out of his mind, Arthur wouldn't recognise her as the person who was putting him through this in the first place. Instead, Nimueh would make herself his friend, the one person who could give him what he wanted. Once that happened, it wouldn't be long at all until he was hers, prepared to do everything she asked of him. Whilst it took away Arthur's will more than she had been originally anticipating, Nimueh knew she could make it work. After all, one did not plan for revenge for twenty years only to be denied by sheer stubbornness.

"Please, please, please..." Arthur whimpered, his hand stretching out to the bottle. His whole body was at a strange angle as he tried to get closer to it, but the prince barely noticed. All he knew was that there was a burning sensation running through his veins, setting every nerve on fire and making him twist helplessly in an effort to escape from it. Whilst he didn't know what that bottle was, something in him recognised it to be the one thing that could make the burning sensation go away. That was all he wanted, to stop hurting for long enough to be able to figure out what it was that he was going through. Pain he knew he could deal with, but somehow, the not knowing was absolutely terrifying him, even if he wasn't going to admit it out loud. Biting his lip, he stretched his fingers out as far as he could, their tips only just touching the bottle.

"Come on..." Almost holding his breath in case it meant the bottle moved away, Arthur gave one last lunge and finally managed to close his hand around it, not realising that a flashing pair of eyes just out of his sight had caused it to roll into his grip. Nimueh knew she had to keep him right on the edge of desperation, he was too strong any other way. Arthur wasted no time. Instead, he gripped the bottle and yanked the top out with his teeth, his hands shaking as his body craved the contents and knew that he was getting closer and closer to receiving it. Finally, he managed to tip it up, emptying the whole lot into his mouth and swallowing in one.

Immediately, he stopped shaking. Arthur sighed in satisfaction, not feeling the magic of the potion working into his mind and beginning to black out more of his memories. All he knew was that his body was no longer screaming at him to do something about the craving it was going through, and he would be able to relax. His fingers began picking at the metal cuffs encircling his wrists as he curled up, relishing in the feeling of not feeling like he was on fire. But memories or not, something in Arthur was still driving him to escape, and he started to try and work free of his chains once again. His fingers were already sore from where he had been trying the same thing a few hours before, but that wasn't going to stop the prince.

Within half an hour however, Arthur was finding that he had another problem. Not only had he managed to practically tear his nail off trying to prise open the lock and now had blood pouring from his thumb, his hands were starting to tremble again. Deep within the pit of his stomach, he could feel something clench involuntary, and without realising what he was doing, the prince was glancing around. But this time, he wasn't looking for an escape or something that would free him from the chains.

He was looking for the next dose of the drug.

He managed to force himself through it for a short time, ignoring the way the longing was increasing at an almost alarming rate. Eventually though, he could ignore it no longer. His hands were shaking so much that he was barely even able to hold onto the chain, let alone get the cuffs open. He couldn't stop his hand from opening and clenching as he stared around desperately, unable to just sit still when it felt like there was slowly a small spark tuning into a raging inferno within his very body. Arthur felt his breathing quickened, and stared about frantically.

There!

He just managed to get a glimpse of a small bottle over to one side, not being sure how he had missed it before. The fact that it hadn't even been there before didn't even cross his mind as he lunged for it, only for the chains to snap taught and hold him back with ease. Just like before, Arthur fought furiously, throwing everything he had against the chains, determined that he would get his hands on it. If he could just make the feeling go away, he was sure that he would be able to get away from here. Wherever here was, he meant. After all, the only thing that was making him realise that he had to leave was the fact he was chained up. Why would that be happening if he was somewhere he had volunteered to go?

But whereas before, the bottle had been close enough that Arthur believed he had a chance of reaching it, this one was well beyond him. No matter how much he reached and strained, Arthur knew he was not going to be able to get to it. His hands clenched in his hair in frustration, the fire truly beginning to rage in his soul as it demanded the calming solution that the bottle offered. Glancing about him, Arthur wondered whether anyone was in ear shot, whether there would be someone there in order to be able to help him.

"Please!" He screamed, groaning as his body lurched. It wasn't liking the fact he had yet to give it what it was craving, and was now rebelling against him. Arthur felt a rush of panic that he couldn't quite explain. Somehow, he had to get to that bottle. If he couldn't stop his body from feeling like it was going to explode unless it got the substance, then he wouldn't be able to get out of here. Not that he was ever going to admit it to anyone (even if there was someone around), but Arthur was terrified. Not the fact that he was chained in a cave for some unknown reason, he could still remember all the lessons that had been drilled into him growing up about how a prince should behave. It was the fact that he had no idea what it was that he was craving, how long he had been here for and couldn't even remember how he got here. He knew there was someone with magic, someone that he should have been cautious of. But he couldn't put a name to a face, couldn't even picture in his own mind who it was holding him prisoner. Telling himself that he only wanted the potion to be able to escape, Arthur tugged again.

"Please, somebody help me..." he whispered into thin air, twisting his body so that he was just stretching out one hand. "I need it, please, I'm begging you, help me..." Crying out in pain as the burning sensation increased again, Arthur curled up, his fingers threading through his hair and holding on tightly as he tried to resist the way his body wanted to be constantly moving. He had never felt anything like it before.

But before he was able to give into his anguish any more, Arthur heard footsteps. Very slowly, he uncurled himself and glanced up, biting his lip to try and control the longing slightly. He knew that he must look a mess, even his eyes were gritty and sore, but he couldn't find himself to care.

"Please... Who are you? Where am I? You have to help me, I have to get away from here. That bottle, I need it, please, I'm begging you, help me. Will you help me?"

A voice soothed him gently, stroking back his hair and smiling softly down at him.

"Have no fear, my prince. I will help you, you have nothing to be afraid of." As Arthur nodded wildly, swallowing hard as he glanced over to where the bottle was once more, Nimueh smirked as she went to fetch it.

Arthur was hers.

MMM

Leon couldn't deny that he was worried, no matter what expression he was showing to the rest of his knights. Where the hell was Merlin? When Jorah had come with a message, saying that he and Eric were scouting ahead, the young knight had smiled softly to himself. He knew how desperate Merlin was to find his master, and had no doubt started following the Knights in case they happened to be going the right way. But he had been sure that as soon as he had been spotted, Eric would have sent the servant back, he had no time for them.

But hours had turned into days, and Leon still hadn't seen the lanky youth. The Knights had stayed where they were, just in case Eric had come back with news. Yet as nothing had been heard, not even a message saying they were going to be a little longer, Bors had claimed that they couldn't wait any longer. Arthur was still out here somewhere, and if Eric had picked up on a trail, then the chances are the rest of them would find the same route and meet them on their way back, hopefully with a prince in tow. Leon, however, wasn't so sure. Ever since he had started to demand answers regarding Merlin, Bors had had him watched. He claimed that he couldn't risk any more knights disappearing off into the forest, especially not as it would have been for the sake of a servant. But something made Leon suspicious, almost as if Bors did know where Merlin was, just didn't want Leon knowing. Surely they knew how close their prince was to his servant, they were risking Arthur's wrath if they hadn't protected Merlin properly, even if it was from himself.

Dawn had come around again since Leon had realised that Merlin was nowhere to be seen, and the young man had had enough. The men who had been watching him were too busy helping to pack away the rest of the camp to think about what one of their own was doing. If they did notice Leon beginning to edge towards the trees, they didn't say anything. Those men were his friends, Leon couldn't fault them for just following orders. When he had asked, they had admitted they had no more of an idea of why they were watching him than Leon did. They had just been instructed to by Bors and therefore had done so.

Satisfied that no one would miss him, Leon moved slowly and smoothly away from the rest of his men until he reached the cover of the trees. Then he turned on his heel and jogged the direction he remembered finding Merlin in. If nothing else, he just wanted to have a look around, see if he could see any sign of where the boy might have gone. Merlin was not a hunter, he didn't know how to mask his trail. It didn't matter which direction he had gone in, Leon was sure he was going to find the servant.

What he didn't expect, however, was for the scene that greeted him. It was clear that someone had been here. The ground was churned up with hoof prints, and there was a familiar bag laying in the middle of the clearing. His heart suddenly beating hard, Leon swallowed as he approached it. There could be no denying that it was Merlin's, especially not judging by the contents strewn across the ground. Picking up the torn shirt, Leon felt a flash of anger. There was no way Merlin would have done this to his own belongings, Leon knew he didn't have a lot to begin with. Keeping it clutched in his fist, the Knight dropped into a crouch.

His free hand was tracing out the prints in the ground as he tried to work out what had happened. In numerous places, there was the sign that someone had fallen. In one stop, it looked like someone had been held down on their knees, and Leon felt the anger growl in his chest when he realised that at least two of the people involved had horses. Judging by what he was piecing together, it looked like someone had been dragged off, possible tied to a horse if the spacing was anything to go by.

"What have you got yourself into, Merlin?" Leon muttered under his breath, finally putting the shirt back down and letting his hand rest on his sword. Straightening up, his eyes scanning the clearing for any more clues, Leon jumped violently when he heard a horse approaching. Loosening his weapon in its sheath and preparing to defend himself, the knight could tell that it was just one horse, approaching slowly, as if weighed down. One quick scan of the surroundings allowed him to locate which direction it was approaching from, and he stood waiting, poised and ready.

Only for his jaw to drop as one lone horse wearily came into the clearing.

"Sir Eric!" Leon exclaimed, hurrying forward. The man gave him a tight lipped smile and struggled down from his horse, using one hand to keep the other person steady. Helping to lower him down, Leon could only gasp as Jorah's unconscious body flopped from the horse from where it had been lying sideways across the saddle, Eric holding him on.

"What happened?" Lowering the man to the floor, Leon winced at the long cut that was still bleeding down the knight's arm, and the ugly wound in the side of his head. It looked like he had been struck on the temple, possibly by someone wearing a ring if the small cut next to his eye was anything to go by.

"Bandits." Eric muttered, making a show of leaning against his horse in apparent exhaustion whilst hiding back the smirk he could feel wanting to surface at Leon's concern. He had made sure that he was wearing his gloves, not wanting anyone to notice the bruising on his knuckles from where he had turned on Jorah, wanting his story to be more plausible. He knew that his show with the slavers had shown his fellow knight just how much authority he held in the black market, meaning that the man would hold his tongue in fear of Eric simply making him disappear as well. He might have been a bully, but he was a coward.

"We fought them off, but as you can see, Jorah wasn't quite quick enough. They dragged him from his horse, beat him to the ground before I could get close enough. But Leon, that's not all."

Glancing up from where he had been checking over the other man, Leon felt the roof of his mouth go dry.

"The serving boy came with us. I tried to send him back, but he wouldn't listen, wanting to find the prince. I shouldn't have let him come, I'm sorry... He was right behind me one moment and then I was fighting to get to Jorah... I didn't even know they had him until I heard the scream."

"No," Leon shook his head, taking a step backwards as Eric slowly pulled out a piece of fabric. Leon tried to resist, didn't want to take it, but the other man pressed it into his hand. Everyone in Camelot had come to recognise one of Merlin's neckerchiefs, Leon couldn't deny that what he held in his hand belonged to the servant. And there could also be no denying that the deep red stain spreading out across most of it was blood. Merlin's blood.

"I'm so sorry, Leon, I knew you tolerated him." Leon knew that was the closes Eric was ever going to get to admitting that the knight got on with the servant. "I know you probably don't want to know this, but it was quick. They slit his throat, he didn't suffer..."

Leon held up his hand and walked away, his back to the pair. Sounds were coming from the camp now, and he knew that someone would be heading this way before long. Someone else could attend to Jorah. Not that Leon would do the man much good right now, not the way his hands were shaking as he clenched the bloodied material in his hand and stared out into the forest with unseeing eyes. Even though he hadn't been in Camelot for long, Leon had already begun to think of Merlin as one of the lucky ones, the ones that could run into danger and run out again just as easily, never getting a scratch. How could have common bandits got the better of them?

Yet if they had been able to take them by surprise, unhorse Jorah before they realised what was happening, Merlin wouldn't have stood a chance. Leon had seen firsthand Arthur's attempts to teach him how to fight.

"Leon. We're moving out." Bors' sharp voice made the man nod his head in understanding and Leon sighed heavily. There was nothing he could do for Merlin now, and Arthur still needed him. Not that Leon was sure how on earth he was going to tell Arthur that Merlin was gone.

But even as he turned away, Leon found himself pocketing the bloodied neckerchief. Maybe when they found Arthur, Leon would go hunting.

And if he happened to stumble across the bandits that had killed his friend... All the better for him and all the worst for them.

**Care to try out that new review thing just below?**


	10. Chapter 10

**Thank you so much for the lovely reviews and support once again. A big thank you to those I can't respond to, they are so very much appreciated. This chapter was soooo hard to write, I wasn't sure whether you would get it today or not. But here we are, so please let me know what you think.**

It was mid-morning when Merlin felt his eyes peel open again. He still felt tired, exhausted in fact, but his leg was throbbing at him and his wrists burning from where the rope had spent so long chaffing on the wounds. Letting out a soft groan as reality claimed him back again, the warlock shifted, glancing about him as he did so. He was quite surprised that Arianna managed to sleep through his attempts to sit himself up, but the girl was still peaceful even when he managed to get himself leaning back on the cage. Merlin frowned, glancing at her again. As peaceful as she was ever going to look whilst being terrified for her life, anyway. There was still a deep frown on her face even as she slept, and that did it for Merlin.

No more waiting around, no more being cautious in case they caught him. So many times he had been told that he was the strongest warlock alive, even Nimueh had seemed impressed when he had used magic through her drug. Why should he just sit here and wait for more people to be hurt because he was afraid of being caught? He would just have to deal with those consequences if and when they arrived. After all, he might be known as Arthur's clumsy servant, but he had managed to last months in a city where people like him were executed and not be caught, even if he was under the prince's very nose.

Despite his confidence, Merlin still glanced around him carefully before doing anything. He was sure that he would be able to keep anyone back from him if they even so much of thought of getting a collar, but he would rather not waste the time in fighting them off. The camp seemed quiet, Arianna's words about them resting now and waiting for night seeming to be true. The few slavers he could actually see were sprawled around the camp, all fast asleep.

"_Unbinde pe teage_." Keeping his voice nothing more than a whisper, Merlin lowered his eyes as the golden flash flooded his eyes, betraying the power leaking from him. The rope unravelled itself, allowing him to pull his wrists free and finally bring his arms back around to the front of his body, biting back a moan as he tried to get the blood circulating properly. The dressings Leon had helped him with were all but tatters, and Merlin winced as he slowly unwrapped the wounds, knowing that he was going to have to do something about them, and soon. The whole situation wasn't helped by the way blood was still trickling from the wound in his leg. If he was going to have any chance of getting out of here, he had to do something. But he had never truly mastered healing spells, and didn't think now was quite the best time, not when he was in a race against time as it was. Instead, he gripped the bottom of his shirt with slightly trembling hands and tore a strip off.

He managed to bind his leg reasonably well, but when it came to dressing his own wrists, Merlin realised that he had a slight problem. He was just debating whether to use his teeth as a way of holding the end when a hand entered his vision.

"Let me." Arianna said softly, taking the strips of fabric and swiftly tying them off. She didn't look surprised that Merlin had untied himself. "You're going, aren't you?"

"I have to. Arthur is out there, in danger. He needs me. And to be honest, I can't deal with being a servant half the time, don't really think I'm slave material somehow." His attempt to lighten the situation wasn't lost on the girl and a shadow of a smile graced her lips as she sat back again, Merlin as bandaged as they could manage. The warlock rose himself into a crouch, holding onto the bars with one hand and inching towards the door, keeping a careful eye out for anyone that would be a threat to him.

"_Aliese,"_ he whispered softly under his breath, his palm next to the lock on the cage. There was a satisfying click as the door swung open and Merlin jumped out. He didn't go anywhere though, but turned back to the cage.

"Come with me? I can get you back to the Druids, I can help." He made sure that he kept his voice soft and quiet, but the plea was more than obvious. He couldn't leave her here, knowing what could happen if they found out she had lied about his powers. Arianna looked like she was going to refuse, but was inching forward all the same. Her eyes fell on some of their captors and she nodded, taking his outstretched hand and allowing Merlin to help her down from the cage.

"_Unbinde pe teage_." This time, the spell was done with a lot more magnitude. His eyes flashed dangerously in the morning sun, and even though his voice was nothing more than a hiss, the magic almost erupted from him. Every single knot in the whole camp untied itself. For a moment, it was as if nothing had happened. But then the tents started collapsing as the ropes fluttered uselessly in the breeze. One of the horses spooked at the movement, and then it was as if all the animals realised that they were free. Within seconds, there was absolute chaos, men and animals running everywhere. The slavers were trying to establish some sort of order, but considering they were struggling to even grab hold of the horses, they were not getting very far.

One of the slaves glanced over to where the two stood and caught Merlin's eye even as the gold faded from his vision. Merlin nodded in encouragement and the boy pulled at the rope that had been keeping him bound. Sure enough, it simply slithered free in his hand, and within seconds, he was up and running. Seeing that one of their own was also free, the rest of the slaves quickly caught on to what had happened. As people ran everywhere, the slavers shouting orders and the captives yelling profanities as they raced away into the cover of the trees, Merlin grabbed Arianna's hand and quickly began to pull her away.

If he was honest, he wasn't sure how many of the slaves would be able to get away. But despite wanting to be able to ensure they were all safe, he knew that he didn't have time. His magic didn't know how to protect that many people. He had to think of Arthur, make himself believe that once he saved the prince, he would be able to put a stop to this lawfully. He might have taken a life in self defence or to protect the future King of Camelot, but Merlin would not let his magic simply kill every one of those men, despite how much he might want to. He just had to hope the people got away and the knights would deal with the men.

He had only just reached the cover of the trees when he felt Arianna stumble behind him. Turning, he saw that her hand was resting on the collar around her neck as she gasped, going pale as she did so. It seemed that it didn't just keep her magic within her, it repelled any other magic. Merlin's step had unlocked everything in that camp, apart from the collar. Frowning in concern, he walked forward, letting his hand rest against the catch.

"_Aliese."_ Merlin knew that the spell had worked because he could feel the magic leaving him. But the only thing that happened was sharp shock ran up his arm and Arianna smiled softly.

"Only the key can get it off."

"Then we have to go back and get it..." Arianna stuck out her hand and caught Merlin's arm as he made to move past her back into the camp. Merlin blinked at her, not understanding why she wasn't jumping at the chance to be free. Instead, she slowly shook her head.

"Can't you hear that it is quieter? They are back in control, if you go back, they'll collar or kill you before you know what hit you. I will not stand between destiny, your prince needs you more than I do."

"But..." There was no way Merlin was about to leave her with her magic restrained, not when his own magic was reacting so violently to the collar and it wasn't even his neck that it was on.

"Well, well, well, what's this? Two lovebirds flying the nest?" Merlin spun around sharply, pushing Arianna behind him as he glared. It was the same man who Eric had handed him over to, the man that seemed to be in charge of this whole operation. He had a wicked looking dagger in one hand and a length of rope in the other, leering at them.

"Stay back." Merlin warned, his hand rising as he made to use magic again. The man would be easy to hold back like this. Merlin knew collars were only a problem if they got close enough. What he wasn't expecting, however, was for the man to flick his rope. It coiled through the air and wrapped around Merlin's wrist, just as the man pulled. Merlin was wrenched forward, but just about managed to regain his footing enough to dig his heels in. Unfortunately, the rope had just pulled on the exact spot where Nimueh had burnt him, and Merlin felt his vision going white for a brief moment. His hand curled against his chest, his other hand cradling it as he attempted to force himself to focus on the pain. He didn't even know when he ended up on his knees, but through hazy vision, could see the man beginning to approach.

"No, stay back..." Merlin gasped, scrambling backwards whilst trying not to put any weight on his wrist. He couldn't afford to pass out now, for he knew there would be no escape if he did so.

"Why? Another little freak are you? Did the witch lie to me?"

"Stay away from her. You aren't going to hurt anyone again. You are going to pay for your crimes." Merlin didn't realise how much being around Arthur had rubbed off on him until he forced himself upright, trying to find his feet to get inbetween the man and Arianna. She had backed away, shaking her head in fright, but now had a tree pressed against her back. There was no where left for her to run, and the man stalked closer, grabbing her collar and wrenching her forward.

Merlin didn't even use words. He had had enough of being ignored and everyone overlooking what he was truly capable of. His heated glare caused his eyes to flare and the magic tore out of him, instinctive and protective. It seemed to grab hold of the man, prise his hand lose and simply threw him backwards. He went sailing through the air, the force behind the magic so strong that he didn't even get the chance to yell for help. Even so, Merlin couldn't help but wince as his magic threw the man into another tree behind them, a sickening crunch sounding through the air before he was dropped to the ground. One glance was all it took to tell Merlin that he wouldn't be hurting anyone ever again, for his neck had been broken on the impact.

The warlock, however, barely even spared him a second glance, instead hurrying over to where Arianna had still yet to move from the tree.

"It's okay, he's gone, you're safe. Arianna..." All the colour drained from Merlin's face as the druid smiled at him, her eyes lifting from her bloodied palm. Merlin mutely shook his head, eyes moving from the hand onto the source. The man's dagger was still in her stomach.

"No!" Running forward, Merlin caught her just as she collapsed. Lowering the girl to the ground, Merlin pulled the knife out, shrugged off his jacket and quickly pressed it over the wound, attempting to stem the flow of blood.

"No..time... You have to...go."

"I'm not leaving you. It's going to be okay, you'll be fine." Merlin barely even realised that he was shaking, racking his brains for anything that Gaius might have told him about healing magic, or even anything scientific that would buy him enough time to save Arianna. He was no fool, he knew what this kind of wound did, but before he could say anything, angry shouts came from the camp.

"They know he is gone, they'll come looking...they'll kill you. Or worse, collar you. You have to go, Merlin." The warlock couldn't quite believe that Arianna was pushing at his hands, trying to force him to leave. He stubbornly shook his head. He had brought this upon her, the very least he could do was stay with her.

"I swore I would free you."

"But you did." One of Arianna's hands moved until it was cupping his cheek, her eyes smiling even as her face contorted with pain. "You did, Emrys. But your destiny needs you. For all of our sakes, you must go."

"But..."

"Go!" The voices were beginning to come closer now, and Merlin knew he was out of time. Blinking back tears, he pressed the jacket closer to her and leant forward. Kissing her forehead, he pulled back just enough to stare into her eyes.

"I will make them pay for this. And I will create Albion, I promise you."

"I know." She whispered, another smile making its way onto her face. Merlin could only watch as she seemed to gather her strength before giving him a mighty shove away, pushing him back into the dirt. As she did so, voices could be heard coming through the trees.

"Now go and make our dreams come true, Merlin Emrys." There was such a note in her voice that he had no choice but to jump to his feet. His eyes blurred by tears, Merlin ran, swearing to anything and everything that he was not going to stop until he had mastered healing spells and would be able to prevent something like this from ever happening again. Hearing noises behind him, he ducked behind a tree, leaning against it as he gasped for breath, but listening hard. The high scream was a sound that he would never be able to forget.

Once again, his magic acted on its own accord. He knew no spell that could do this, yet the magic made it happen. His hand shot towards the sky and a burst of light, obvious even in the bright sky erupted from his hand. There were shouts of surprise and alarm as the light moved, and Merlin's eyes simply glowed, reinforcing what he knew was happening.

The light had locked onto the camp. But it was more than that. Merlin knew that if the camp moved, so would the light. They would never be able to escape from it. And the Knights of Camelot were in this very forest, looking for anything magical that might lead them to their missing prince. There was no way they could ignore something like this, even if Eric and Jorah did protest. Eric was the only one who could name Merlin ever being there, and the warlock had a feeling the man wouldn't be giving up that piece of information any time soon due to his own involvement. No one would know about his magic. But he could at least make sure the knights found the slavers, and they made them pay for what they had done to Arianna and the others. He might be refusing to let his magic take revenge, but he could at least use his magic to make sure revenge was had.

Tears falling from his eyes at the failure he had caused, Merlin slowly turned. Repeating the first spell he had used to try and locate Arthur, he let the magic roll off his tongue. Distracted by a beacon in the sky, he could only hope they didn't notice the light dancing through the trees and leading in the opposite direction. Convinced that he was heading in the right direction once again in order to find Arthur, Merlin slowly walked off, feeling the pain in both his leg and his heart with each passing step.

MMM

Arthur woke up to the sounds of sobbing. Blearily, the prince opened his eyes, trying to stop his stomach lurching too much from wanting another lot of whatever it was. The woman – Nimueh was her name – had managed to unchain him from the wall, but had made him swear that he wouldn't leave. Apparently there was dark magic outside, and she didn't want to see him get hurt. Arthur had promised, although not quite sure why. There was a deep feeling within him that he had to be getting out of here, but when he had told her that, she had just smiled and patted his face in a patronising manner, and told him that was what their captor wanted him to think so that he would succumb to the dark magic. It hadn't felt right, but Arthur trusted her. After all, she had unchained him, and gave him the drug whenever he couldn't stand the cravings any more.

She had told him that they had been taken by a man who wanted them both dead, but that she would try and protect Arthur. Apparently he reminded her of a son she could never have, which in a way disturbed him more than he could say since she didn't look old enough to have a child his age. But she certainly looked after him. Before falling asleep a few hours ago, he had been shaking and sweating, desperate for more of the drug but she had said that she couldn't get any more, it was too dangerous. Instead, Nimueh had rested his head against her leg and stroked his hair softly, holding him down when the shakes got too much and murmuring softly to him. It had felt nice, safe, and Arthur had fallen asleep. Curled up on a cave floor, he had let all his defences down in front of the same witch that wanted to destroy him, having no idea what he was doing.

Awake again, Arthur pushed himself up off the floor and decided to try and find where she was by following the sounds of the sobbing. He had no idea why he would let himself be taken with no boots and no shirt, but didn't ask. Her face always clouded over when he asked about their captor, and one time she had eve slapped him when the questions didn't stop. Arthur may not have remembered much of who he was, but he did get the feeling that no one normally dared raise a hand against him. His shock must have shown for she had instantly soothed him again, but it had made him wonder what was truly going on. But those thoughts had been banished from his mind with the next dose.

"Nimueh?"

"Through here." Her tone was kind, like it always had been, and Arthur turned, heading the way the voice had come from. She was huddled in a smaller cave, crying openly. The tears only increased when they saw Arthur.

"I'm sorry, so sorry..."

"What is it?" Dropping to one knee beside her, Arthur didn't quite know what to do. He had never been any good at comforting people, more used to making threats against whatever had upset them rather than soothing them. Nimueh sniffed, clearly trying to smile as she turned to face him. One hand rose and stroked his hair back from his face.

"Such a handsome boy." She murmured, either not noticing or choosing to ignore the way Arthur stiffened at her words. But then he was distracted by something she revealed in her hand, bringing it slowly into his sight. This time, she smiled at the way Arthur jerked back, staring at it with need in his eyes. He couldn't stop the slight whimper that slipped past his lips, but found that he didn't really care. If she truly wanted to help him, to keep him safe the way she said she did, then she wouldn't mind, nor repeat, anything that came out of his mouth. But there was something troubling him. She had said before there wasn't any, of that he was certain. Yet he couldn't be completely sure. Things were so jumbled in his head... he could remember things from when he was nothing more than a boy, and had a vague recollection of where he was, but everything in between that was blank. He was sure she had refused to grant him the one thing that he had been craving though, and found himself frowning.

"How did you get it? You told me you couldn't, that _he_..."

"I promised you, did I not?" Arthur could only nod, barely able to stop his own hand from rising to take the bottle. Nimueh smiled, pressing it into his hand. "Drink, my king."

"Your what?" Arthur had just lifted the bottle, preparing to put the restless feeling that he knew was growing to ease when her words made him stop. He knew that he was a prince, there were still things that he could remember. But it was the way she had said it. Not that she would follow him, more that he belonged to her.

"You are a prince one day to be king, are you not?"

"Yes, but..."

"Shh. Hush now, just drink." Arthur was sure there was something in her face that hadn't been there before, something of annoyance that he had questioned her, and he didn't like the feeling.

"No."

"Are you arguing against me, little prince? Are you resisting me?"

Arthur frowned. The friendliness from before had all but vanished and her expression turned icy. Before he could say anything else, however, her eyes flashed at him in the dimness of the cave. The longing gave an almighty throb and Arthur was drinking before he knew what he was doing. He let out a long groan as he did so, his eyes rolling slightly as the drug took effective. It was as if the whole cave almost spun out of existence for a long moment. Images flashed before his eyes in the few seconds that he wasn't aware for, places and names, faces and smiles that he was sure hadn't been in his head before all swam into view. It was almost as if they were trying to get him to remember who they were, get him to fight against something. Fight against...

Against what? The faces disappeared as swiftly as they had come, a welcoming blackness wiping them from his mind. The blackness didn't hurt, the blackness didn't confuse him in the way the faces did. Blinking, Arthur had no idea how he had ended up on the floor in a cave, or why there was a woman leaning over him, cupping his face and calling his name.

"Arthur?"

"Wha-?"

"Nimueh, remember. I'm your friend, I'm looking after you." Her voice was soft and reassuring, and Arthur carefully pushed himself upright.

"I'm sorry, I don't..."

"Shh, it's okay. I don't know what he has done to you, but I will make it better, I swear."

"He?" Arthur blinked. There was something about this place that was vaguely familiar, something about this woman that made him feel... Well, if he was honest, Arthur wasn't quite sure how this woman made him feel and that was unnerving him. There was something on the surface, something that seemed to scream that she was his safety net, his protection. Considering her soft and reassuring words, Arthur decided to go with that, ignoring the small niggle that was telling him to be careful.

"The man who took us, don't you remember?"

_The man who...what?_ No, Arthur did not remember, he quite frankly had no idea what she was talking about, and found himself voicing that thought, even if it was in a softer tone that what was going through his head. Nimueh sighed, looking so sorrowful that Arthur found himself believing her.

"I'm sorry. I don't know why I don't remember..."

"Please, don't blame yourself." That small, sad smile was back on her face now. "It's not your fault he made you kill so many people, that you did..."

"What? What did I do?"

"Terrible things, my prince. But I will keep you safe from him, I will give you the chance to seek your revenge, I swear." Arthur nodded wildly, his mind in pieces. What was she talking about? How could he have done horrible things and not even know it, that wasn't right! Surely he would be able to remember... but maybe it would explain why he had such a sense of restlessness, why he felt the need to run?

"I can show him to you if you like?" Not giving Arthur a chance to answer, Nimueh waved her hand and a small cloud appeared in the cave. Arthur's breath hitched as he moved closer and she knew it would be a long time before he would trust magic. But every time he forgot who she was, she used a little. The prince was such a noble man that he was too apologetic about not knowing who she was to really comment on it. After all, he could only remember his father's early teachings now, not any of the decisions that he had made himself regarding magic.

"I know him, don't I?"

"Yes and no. He is the one who keeps us here. He is the one with the bad magic that I was telling you about." Nimueh could only smirk in satisfaction as Arthur's hand drifted to his belt. If he had had his sword, his hand would have just closed around it. There was a tension running across his shoulders and his hands were clenching.

"He doesn't look like much. And he's limping, can't we just take him?"

"You could. I am not strong enough, I have been here too long." Nimueh was glad that Arthur's back was turned to her, for she wasn't sure if she would be able to have kept her expression neutral this time. She couldn't believe that Arthur was still fighting her, that his memories were still strong enough to make him doubt. It seemed Gaius had been right when he said that Arthur would be loved in Camelot, that love now was making him resist her even if he didn't know why he was doing it. But he was too far gone now, all it took was one small drop of the drug and he was instantly hers again. The prince was far stronger than she had given him credit for, but she was convinced that it would work to her advantage very soon.

Arthur's gasp made her glance towards the cloud again, her smile only widening as they watched the figure use magic. That made things so much easier than her trying to convince Arthur herself. He may not be trusting magic, but instinct was already telling him that he should be fighting against it, it wasn't like he was going to stand there and wait for a demonstration.

"Will you protect me, Arthur?" Nimueh asked softly, her eyes glinting as she watched the muscles in his neck tense.

"I will. I will make him pay for what he has done, have no fear."

Nimueh's smile was genuine as Arthur made his promise before turning angrily away from the cloud. The young man was breathing heavily and Nimueh knew the man's arrival couldn't come soon enough judging by the odd tremors Arthur was displaying as he tried to keep himself in check. She glanced at the cloud one more time before dismissing it with a wave of her hand.

She had no desire to watch Merlin limp through the forest any longer than necessary.


	11. Chapter 11

**Thank you so much to the few of you who did review this last chapter, they were very much appreciated. Especially as I can't respond to most of you, thanks!**

Uther was never the type of man to admit how he was feeling. Emotions were a weakness, that was what he had always tried to teach Arthur. People could use them against you and exploit you. Everything you had tried so hard to hide could be pulled to the surface and exposed to the whole world if the wrong look gave something away. But considering he hadn't even heard anything from the knights that had gone after his son, let alone anything about Arthur himself, the King was finding it harder and harder to school his expression into one of neutrality. Of course, it was always made significantly harder when the doors to the throne room burst open and his fiery ward strode into the room, a look of determination on her face.

"Morgana."

"Why won't you let me go out there? They are finding nothing! Arthur is your son, your only heir, you need all the help you can get with finding him." Knowing that if she were allowed to continue unchecked, she would tell him precisely what the entire kingdom thought of his actions and then ride out after the missing prince herself, despite her guardian's opinion, Uther raised his hand to stop her.

"I don't need you tell me how to find my son."

"But they haven't found him, that's the point!" It was only then that Uther realised she wasn't dressed in a flowing gown like normal, but her travelling gear. Her shadow of a maid was also nowhere to be seen. Shutting his eyes, Uther sighed.

"You're not going out there, Morgana, so don't try me."

"But I know Arthur, and I know these woods."

"I doubt you know the woods better than the knights."

"I'd know where Arthur would run to though. How many of them can say that?" Morgana protested, and Uther had to admit that she was right. When they were teenagers, bouncing off each other and driving him mad, Morgana was often the only one who had been able to get through to the headstrong prince without him simply blanking her in the way that he would do to Gaius, or even his father. Arthur might have calmed down over the years, but Morgana had not. Jerking his head at one of the guards, Uther dispatched the man to the stables, making sure the guards down there knew not to let the young woman anywhere near the horses.

"Morgana... The chances are that Arthur doesn't have a choice about where he is, meaning it doesn't matter how well you know him, you won't find him." For the first time since she had entered the room, the look on Morgana's face slipped slightly, betraying her worry. Uther did find it ironic that out of the two of them, Morgana could be the one to school her expression into one of neutrality, far better than Arthur could. It was just a shame that she didn't know how to keep her mouth closed in order to truly hide how she was feeling. If there was one thing he was sure of, it was that Morgana spoke her mind, no matter the consequences. But right now, she looked worried.

"You don't think he would have escaped?"

"Sorcery took him. It corrupts the mind, ensnares the soul, it's..."

"Evil, yes I know, you have told me enough times. I don't need a lesson on it now, Uther, I need to find Arthur."

"Watch yourself, Morgana. You are addressing your king. He's just a boy, and she is a witch with years to perfect her revenge. The Knights will find him and bring him home safely. You need to return to your chambers."

"I can't just sit here whilst he is out there!"

"And I can't have both of you fall prey to this witch. If she found out you were out there, the chances she would take you too. The prince and the King's ward, what a valuable pair you would make."

"You sound as if you know her?" Some of the fire had disappeared from Morgana's voice as she looked up at Uther. For the first time, she seemed to truly see the tension in his shoulders and the lines on his face. In that one look, it revealed that she was not the only one who hated having to sit here whilst Arthur was at the mercy of a vengeful witch.

"They're all the same to me. To know one is to know them all. All I know is that she has been planning this for a long time and she has no desire to let Arthur go. It's going to be up to the knights in order to find him, and when they do, she will be made to pay for her crimes."

Normally, Morgana would protest and argue strongly against Uther's ruling towards those with magic. But this witch had taken Arthur, the man who was like a brother to her. If even a hair on his head was harmed, she would light the pyre herself.

"They will find him." She said softly, resting her hand lightly on Uther's arm for a moment. "You should get some rest, no doubt we will be hearing shortly how Arthur defeated everyone and everything that stood in his way." A ghost of a smile crossed Uther's lips at her words and he nodded. Arthur was still young and anxious to prove himself. It only meant that his victories tended to change with each retelling and resulted in him apparently taking on half the world and winning. Uther took hold of Morgana's hand, kissed it and gave her a small nudge towards the door.

"You are to remain within the castle, Morgana, I mean it."

"Oh very well. But if they don't come back soon, I'm going out there." Uther didn't say anything as Morgana strode from the room, knowing that now she had made her point, no one was going to stop her, least of all him. But as the doors closed softly behind her and he was left alone with his thoughts once more, the king found himself leaning unsteadily against the wall. She had been right; there was still no sign or word of Arthur. Nimueh wouldn't kill him, of that she was sure. Her claim to Arthur was too personal to simply then kill him. But if he was still alive, and still at her mercy, then there would be no telling what she would do to him.

"Sire?" Recognising the voice as the only person in Camelot who was allowed to see him at his weak moments, Uther slowly stood up and turned to face Gaius. Despite his earlier thoughts, he knew that his emotions were more than obvious on his face this time. Gaius was looking just as concerned as he was, and despite not really caring one way or the other what happened to the servant boy, Uther knew that if the lad didn't make it back to Camelot, his old friend would be distraught.

"Still no word?"

"None." Uther turned away, moving to the table and letting his hands come to a rest on it. Leaning on his palms, he breathed heavily through his nose. "Not a single word from them. I don't know if he is hurt, or even alive. She will pay for this!" Ending in a yell, Uther swept his arm across the table and sent a goblet flying. It spun over the table and clattered across the floor noisily, a sharp contrast to the silence that had fallen between the two men.

"Arthur's strong, he always has been. And Nimueh-,"

"Don't say her name!"

"- genuinely believed she had a claim to him." Ignoring the interruption, Gaius continued in a quiet voice. "I don't believe she will hurt him."

"What you believe doesn't matter." Uther snapped, trying to ignore the fact that he had been telling himself the same thing. After years of nightmares about Nimueh taking his son from him, Uther had truly thought that Arthur was safe. Boasting aside, he was a good warrior, he could more than take care of himself in a fair fight. But Uther knew this was far from a fair fight, and it was going to be his son who paid the price.

"Get some rest, My Lord." Gaius implored and Uther sighed heavily. Gaius was the second person within a very short space of time who had told him to get some rest. How could he rest when Arthur was out there? Even so, he knew how stubborn Gaius could be when it came to getting his way, so simply strode from the room without so much as a glance at the physician.

Gaius, however, was used to far worse and just watched him go with a sorrowful look in his eye. So much had been sacrificed for Arthur, far more than the prince himself realised. To lose him now, and to Nimueh of all people... Gaius knew that if the prince was not returned shortly, the war on magic would have only just begun compared to what Uther would do next. The physician crossed over to one of the large windows, staring out of it. He could just make out the tops of the trees, knowing that was the direction Merlin would have gone in.

"Find him safe, my boy. But make sure you come back safe yourself."

For Uther was not the only one worried about a young man under his care. If something happened to Merlin out there, Gaius wasn't sure how he would ever begin to tell the boy's mother. Or indeed, whether he would be able to get over it himself. Merlin may have only been with him a short space of time, but it was almost alarming how quickly he had worked his way into the physician's heart. Shaking his head sadly, Gaius turned from the window and followed Uther out of the room, determined to find something to do that would at least help keep his mind occupied.

MMM

Leon had said very little as the knights moved out, determined to find their prince and go home. Most of them had come to tolerate Merlin after seeing how much he was making Arthur mature, and all were saddened by hearing that he had been killed. Well, nearly all of them, Leon had a feeling that Eric's remorse wasn't quite as real as he was making out.

"Change direction, we're heading east." Bors suddenly barked, and Leon dutifully flicked his mare's reigns until she had once again fallen in line behind the rest of the men. It still took him a few moments to look up in order to question why they had changed direction. The words died on his lips though, and as one, the whole group sped up. After all, Knights of Camelot were not going to ignore a spiral hanging in mid-air, glowing and pulsing, a clear sign of magic.

It took them a few hours before they reached the magic. Leon knew they were there without even glancing up at the sky, for the horses all suddenly whined and a few began to side-step as they clearly sensed the power in the air. One of the younger knights swore as the group peered through the trees, and Leon felt his own blood boil. There could be no denying who this group of men were, not considering the cages he could see littering the clearing and the sorrowful group of people that appeared to be tied up in the centre. Leon had a deep hatred of slavers, so to see them in the very forest that he spent hours patrolling made his back stiffen. He was not the only one either, even Bors had a grip far tighter than necessary on his horse, a muscle in his jaw throbbing.

"Leon, Kay and Gareth, take the west side of the forest. Tritam, Greg, with me. Eric, take Jorah and Matthew and double around, make sure none of them can escape." The orders given, the men slipped from their animals and stole off into the undergrowth. Even with their crimson coloured capes, it was amazing how stealthily the knights could move when they needed to, and Leon knew that the slavers would have no idea they were coming. What he couldn't fathom out though was the magical sign. Groups of men like this did their utmost to avoid detection, meaning someone else had planted the blazing arrow. Following Kay around a small cluster of trees, Leon wasn't the only one who stopped dead at the sight in front of him.

In a way, it wasn't even the man sprawled against the bottom of the tree that had him hurrying forward. It was clear the man's neck was broken, there was nothing they could do for him. It was the other figure. Dropping to his knees, Leon's hand shot out as he grasped the girl's wrist, determined to feel if there was a pulse there or not. When there was no reassuring thud of a heartbeat under his hand, the knight growled in frustration. There was still a slight warmth left in her, meaning that if they had broken camp even an hour earlier, they might have been able to save her.

"Well?" Gareth asked, not unkindly. He came to a stop behind Leon and squeezed his shoulder comfortingly as the knight shook his head. Leon finally looked at her properly, an uneasy feeling stirring within him at the collar around her neck. Not knowing what he was doing, the knight shakily reached out a hand and ran a finger along the metal, shuddering as it seemed to spark slightly as he did so. Blowing out a long breath, Leon pulled his hand away again and softly shut her eyes, moving the jacket away from the wound in order to see what had caused it.

Kay swore at the knife laying on the floor next to her and the ugly wound in her stomach, but Leon found that he never got that far. There was something familiar about the jacket that he had clutched in his hand. He was sure that he had seen it before, even if the last time he had laid eyes on it, it had not been covered in blood and covering the body of a dead girl.

It was as if he had walked into a tree how hard the answer hit him. Leon actually gasped, stumbling back from the body and staring wildly at the jacket in his hands. Ignoring his friends' concerned questions, Leon felt his mind racing. Merlin. He _knew _he recognised the material, it was the only one that Arthur's servant seemed to possess. But that didn't make any sense! Eric had said they had been ambushed by bandits, that Merlin had been killed in front of them. If that was the case, then why on earth was his jacket covering someone that clearly had been trying to escape from slavers? Why had Merlin been anywhere near this place?

Leon glanced up, not realising that his hand was shaking as he swallowed hard. Involuntarily, his eyes drifted through the trees, and he started in surprise to see that Eric was looking directly back at him from the other side of the clearing. The knight's eyes flickered to the jacket, then to Leon and back again. Leon wouldn't have thought anything of it, he was holding an unusual object for where they were after all. At least, he wouldn't if the colour hadn't drained from Eric's face and he suddenly looked nervous, backing off a few paces so their eye contact was broken.

Leon found his own eyes do the same movement, glancing between Eric and the jacket before looking back towards the knight. He swallowed hard at Eric's reaction, unable to stop the growing anger from making him growl slightly and causing Gareth to look at him in alarm. Suddenly, a hell of a lot more things made sense, and Leon knew, deep down, that Eric had been lying. Merlin had been here, there could be no doubt about it. But if he was no longer here, and he hadn't been killed by bandits, then one question remained.

Where in all of Camelot was he?

MMM

Merlin didn't know how long he had been walked for, but he knew that he was functioning on automatic. Each step was an effort, a heavy weight pressing down on his heart. He couldn't get the image of that knife in Arianna's stomach out of his mind. He had failed her, failed them all, all because he had been afraid of using magic beforehand. His mother might have sent him to Camelot in order to stop him from using his powers for every small thing, but Merlin wasn't liking who it was turning him into. He might have been granted a destiny and a prince to protect since he had first stumbled through those gates, but so much was being sacrificed to keep his secret. Surely it was better to live isolated in a small village than have people be prepared to die for him. If he could ever find a way of bringing it into conversation without arousing suspicion, Merlin told himself that he was going to find out how Arthur dealt with it. After all, he had to listen to men vow they would die for him, and then watch them stick true to that vow more often than not. He had to have a way of dealing with it, and Merlin would love to know what.

But right now, the warlock knew that he first of all had to find the prince. He had been lucky in the sense that his spell hadn't flickered, meaning that he knew he was at least travelling in the right direction. Even though he had tried to wash his wrists in a stream and rebind them with even more pieces of his shirt, he knew that they were beginning to get infected. The wounds were too open and too raw for him to be able to carry on travelling through the woods without treating them properly. But it wasn't only his wrists he had to worry about, for his leg was throbbing at him with every step that he took. Despite his determination that he was going to find Arthur and get back to Camelot, Merlin couldn't deny the chances of that happening were actually getting slimmer with each step. He didn't know any healing spells – living with Gaius, he had decided to focus his attention on other matters than things the physician could already take care of - but he knew that the burning sensation he could feel deep within the wound was not a good sign.

Pausing for a moment, Merlin checked the magic, making sure that in his exhaustion he hadn't wandered away from the path that he was supposed to be taking. As he did so, he couldn't help but lean against a tree, letting it take his weight away from his wounded leg whilst he had the chance. He was still on the right track, and Merlin could have sworn that the spell had almost began pulling on him, making him want to move forward even though the warlock was exhausted. He had already walked through one night, and darkness was beginning to fall again, but judging by the feelings that he was getting from the spell, Merlin wasn't sure whether he would be able to stop again. He had never used tracking magic before, but somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew what this meant. It meant that he was getting close to finding Arthur. The thought that this might soon be over, that they might all be safely back in Camelot and able to put this whole thing behind them made Merlin push himself away from the tree once more. He may have been exhausted, wounded and alone, but he was now more determined than ever.

Nodding to himself, Merlin stumbled forward once more. Right now, he was just making himself focus on finding Arthur. He didn't want to consider what would happen when he got there, or the fact that Nimueh was more than likely not wanting to give her prince up without a fight, not considering the way she had made sure that Merlin couldn't stop her before. Merlin knew there was one way that he could defend the prince, but would it be worth the price he had to pay. He knew that Arthur was not his father, and they were already beginning to cross the boundaries between master and servant and stray into something that might mistakenly be considered friendship, but it was a few months up against a life time of teaching. Arthur might have been his own man, but he was still Uther's son, and no doubt Nimueh's actions would not have encouraged a favourable attitude towards magic.

Stepping over a fallen log and almost growling as it sent waves of pain through his leg, Merlin gritted his teeth. At the end of the day, it was his destiny to ensure that Arthur stayed alive long enough to make it to be Camelot's King. Nothing was mentioned about what would happen to him, whether he would be around in order to see it. Maybe this was what Kilgharrah had meant? He had to free Arthur from Nimueh, no matter what the cost to him was. If he had to reveal his magic, then that was what he had to do. It still didn't stop him shuddering at the thought Arthur might have him banished or something even worse. Would he really turn his friend over to his father after Merlin had helped save his life?

Adamant that he couldn't think along those lines until he had no other choice, Merlin determinedly plodded on, ignoring his body's protests at what he was putting it through. The sun dipped below the horizon, but the moon managed to filter through the trees in order to give him enough light to see by. He hadn't particularly wanted to cast another spell in order to give him light, not when this one was pulling him on almost harshly. His body was moving almost of its own accord now, and Merlin blinked in surprise when he suddenly found himself in a clearing. His spell gave an almighty throb, then vanished into thin air, leaving the warlock to tentatively step out into the area.

Trees surrounded three sides of the clearing, but the side of what looked like a small mountain blocked the fourth. It wasn't the actual rock that drew Merlin's attention though, but the openings scattered across the stone. It almost looked like it would lead down into a series of caves, and Merlin smiled slightly. Why hide the prince out in the open air and risk him escaping or his knights finding him when she could take him underground? Merlin had never heard of this place before, and that meant he was almost certain that Arthur didn't know where it was. Blocked off from daylight and fresh air, the prince would have no idea where he was being held. Arthur was a knight through and through; he would try and plan first. Being lost put a hold on most of those plans straight away.

Considering the way that his magic had indicated this area, Merlin knew that Arthur had been around here somewhere in the last few days. Hoping that the prince was still around, he left the shelter of the trees and took a few steps forward. Before he could go any further, a smell made him wrinkle his nose and look around for the source.

He didn't have to look far to see it. Over to one side, some sort of creature lay in a heap on the floor. Merlin took a few steps towards it, then stopped again. It was clear that it was dead, but that wasn't what made him suddenly stiffen. There was the feel of magic in there, and his own gave a warning throb in recognition. Not only was it recognising that Arthur had been around here lately, but it was recognising Nimueh's magic. They had both been present, and Merlin found his eyes drawn back to the cave as he swallowed hard. The chances were, they were still here.

Allowing his magic to bubble to the surface but go no further than that, Merlin took a few steps towards the rock, trying to work out which entrance he should go through.

"Help me..." The warlock jumped violently, spinning on the spot and expecting some sort of trap. There could be no denying that voice, but where was he?

"Merlin...please..."

"Arthur? Where are you?"

"Be'nd you." The voice was feeble sounding, and Merlin turned with a pounding heart. As soon as he located the prince, his eyes widened in astonishment. He had found Arthur alright, but he hadn't expected the prince to be tied to a tree. He was shirtless and bootless, allowing Merlin to see the wounds that littered his torso, including three deep scratch marks. His hands were bound behind his back, and Merlin could only assume that they were also lashed to the tree, keeping him in place. But what made Merlin's anger bubble into life was the defeated look on Arthur's face. He may have only been with the prince for a few months, but he knew there were very few people in Camelot that would have seen Arthur looked as helpless as he did then.

If he had thought about it afterwards, or even paid more attention at that moment, Merlin would not have hurried forward.

"Arthur! Where is she, are you okay?"

"She's around somewhere." Arthur whispered, his voice trembling as his body seemed to shudder. "I only just got away, and she came out of nowhere. Said something about a ritual, that's why I'm out here. I've been in the caves the whole time, but at least now I can stop you from bumbling in like the idiot you are."

"The idiot that is saving your life, hold still." Merlin muttered, reaching behind Arthur and feeling for the ropes. He dropped his eyes to the floor and allowed the golden tinge to flood his irises at the same time as tugging on the rope, and sure enough, it slid free. Arthur nearly collapsed on him there and then, Merlin's injured leg not being able to take both of their weight and he was forced to use the tree in order to prop Arthur back up again.

"Okay, okay, it's okay... We're going to get you of here, I promise."

"Are you sure about that?" The icy voice made Merlin whip around, and he swallowed hard at seeing Nimueh standing there, magic already sparking off her fingertips. Merlin scowled, glancing at Arthur over his shoulder. He had hoped he would have longer before having to decide whether to reveal his secret or not, but it seemed that he had no choice.

"I'm taking him home." Merlin stated firmly, trying to sound more confident than he was feeling.

"I wouldn't be so certain. Arthur?" The casual note to her voice as she addressed the prince froze Merlin's blood. He slowly turned – not even thinking about the fact that he was turning his back on Nimueh- and found Arthur watching him with a sneer on his face. What made Merlin mutely shake his head in a pleading motion was the hatred burning in the prince's eyes. Merlin didn't even have time to take so much as a step back until the solid piece of wood Arthur had picked up collided with his head.

Merlin immediately dropped to the floor, stubbornly clinging onto consciousness for as long as he could. He should have known! Even defeated, there was no way that Arthur would have let himself look that helpless, the defiance would have been spiralling from his eyes.

"Sorcerer." Arthur spat, and Merlin groaned. Whatever Nimueh had done to him, it was going to take more than a quick rescue to get Arthur away from her. And giving what he had just said, Merlin had a feeling it was going to take even long before Arthur would trust him again. He made to open his mouth, to say something, _anything _in order to get Arthur to listen to him, but the prince moved again. Once more, Merlin wasn't quick enough to flinch away before Arthur drove his fist into the wound on his leg.

He vaguely heard himself scream as the darkness rushed up to greet him. Just before he went under completely, Merlin saw Nimueh come and stand next to Arthur, a delighted smile on her face. She reached out and softly stroked Arthur's hair, murmuring something the fading warlock couldn't hear. Arthur's face seemed to go blank and a look of the utmost confusion crossed his features as he glanced down at Merlin.

But his friend could do nothing to reassure him. With Nimueh's satisfied smirk burnt into his mind's eye, Merlin passed out.


	12. Chapter 12

**Thank you so much for the lovely reviews and support with this, I'm so glad that you are enjoying it.**

Merlin came back around with a groan, every inch of him feeling like it hurt. After a moment, he realised that his leg wasn't struggling to take his weight the way it had before, simply because his weight wasn't on it. Cracking his eyes open, the warlock tried to suppress the second moan that forced its way past his lips as he took in his surroundings. His hands were chained above his head to what appeared to be a cave wall, his feet an inch or so off the floor. It wasn't much, but it was enough for his wrists to be taking all of his weight. Merlin realised that it must be the caves that he had been looking at before, Arthur had at least been telling the truth when he said that he had been in them the entire time up until Merlin had found him.

But Merlin hadn't found him, that he now knew. Arthur had been planted there as the bait, Nimueh knew that he would do anything to protect his destiny, his behaviour when she had first taken the royal had proven that much. It was unnerving how much damage she seemed to have been able to cause in just the few days that Arthur had been missing for. Merlin knew first hand just how stubborn the young Pendragon was, something that he did indeed seem to inherit from his father. But it meant there was no way he would have just taken whatever Nimueh had thrown at him, not without fighting back. Considering his words and behaviour from in the clearing though, she obviously had some kind of hold over him. Refusing to think about the fact the prince seemed to be aware that he had magic, Merlin was instead trying to focus on what Nimueh had done to him. After all, one did not suddenly side with the witch who had drugged and kidnapped him only a few days before without magic being involved in some way or the other.

"I know you are awake, Merlin, look at me." Hearing the voice coming from somewhere just outside his peripheral vision, Merlin had every intention of continuing to stare stonily ahead. It might have only been a small act of defiance, but he wasn't going to give Nimueh the satisfaction of knowing she had him caught. Right now, his mind was too fuzzy and preoccupied to use magic, but when he could think straight again, Merlin knew that he wasn't only getting himself out of these caves, but that he was taking Arthur with him. The question rested in whether Arthur was going to come willingly or not. At least one problem was out of the way – if the prince already knew he had magic, then Merlin could use whatever means necessary to get him back to Camelot, even if he had to run afterwards. But as much as he liked the idea of defying Nimueh simply by not looking at her, a small hand cupped his cheek and his head was turned whether he liked it or not.

"Don't be rude."

"Where is he? What have you done to him?" His voice rose to a shout as he spoke and Merlin found that he was struggling against the chains, even if it did cause tears to spring to his eyes after realising that the padding the strips of cloth tied around his wrists offered very little protection against the biting metal of the cuff. Nimueh reacted almost instantly, her hand moving to cover Merlin's mouth.

"Shh." Making her point, Nimueh pulled her hand away again, looking at him sternly. Merlin simply glared.

"What's wrong, worried he will hear what you are really like?"

"No, he is sleeping, I don't want you to wake him up." Merlin had been expecting a lot of comebacks for his words, some scathing comment about Arthur already being hers or something like that. But the words that did come out of her mouth were so unexpected that he could do nothing but blink at the witch for a long moment.

"What have you done to him?" His voice was softer this time, more controlled as he frowned at Nimueh. She had moved in front of him now, allowing him to just let his head hang rather than keeping it craned around in order to keep her in his vision. There was a soft smile on her face, something that almost made her look maternal as she thought about Arthur.

"A simple memory potion. Our prince just about knows who he is, but nothing more." Merlin felt his heart plummet straight through his stomach and down to his feet. It explained so much. He had once come across spells that could affect the memory in his book and had asked Gaius about them. The old man had looked positively alarmed and told him that a memory charm was a dangerous piece of magic unless one was an expert in it, for the results of messing with someone's mind without the right skill could leave them a gibbering wreck. Considering Arthur had been just as strong as ever (Merlin could still feel his head throbbing and pounding uncomfortable from the blow), he knew that whatever Nimueh had done, it had worked.

"Why?"

"Why?" There was a mocking laugh in her voice this time as she smirked at the restrained warlock, pacing slightly up and down in front of him. Whilst the witch barely took a few steps each time before turning, Merlin found that following her movement with his already sore head was making him feel decidedly sick. Yet at the same time, it was like he couldn't keep his eyes off her. Her face was so readable now that she thought she had won, and Merlin didn't want anything to escape his notice in case it revealed a way that he would be able to get _his_ Arthur back.

"Maybe it is just because I can?"

"No," Merlin shook his head. Somehow, he knew it was more than that. "You may say that you have a claim to him, but you also have a use for him."

"And what makes you say that?" Nimueh mocked, taking a step closer and running a finger down Merlin's cheek. Determined not to shudder or pull away, Merlin looked her straight in the eye.

"Otherwise you wouldn't have let me find him and take the chance that I can overcome it."

"Do you really think you can? Why, Merlin, you're just a child."

The temperature in the cave seemed to drop as Merlin's stare became icy. As a result of Nimueh's actions, Arianna had been killed. Merlin was holding the witch standing in front of him accountable for that, even though he knew it was his reluctance to use magic that had ultimately cost Arianna her life. If Nimueh hadn't taken Arthur, if the knights hadn't been out here... none of this would happen.

"I am far from a child, Nimeuh."

Even Merlin couldn't say what happened. He could see his breath steaming in the air in front of him, a sign that it had literally become colder. The chains holding him seemed to clink ominously, although didn't go as far as releasing him. But what unnerving Merlin the most if he was to think about it was the way Nimueh seemed to take a step back from him, her eyes flickering towards the ground in almost a sign of submission before she hastily pulled them back up again. Whatever the warlock had just done, he knew that her own power was reacting to his, recognising the dominant magic and submitting to it. The moment passed almost as swiftly as it had come and before Merlin could say anything else, Nimueh backhanded him sharply.

"You shouldn't have got involved in this, boy. This is between Arthur and myself."

"And Uther."

"What makes you think that?" Merlin simply raised an eyebrow at her.

"Do you really expect me to believe that you are just after Arthur because of who he is? Gaius may not have told me precisely what happened, but I do know this is stemming back years, possibly before I was even born. You've been after Arthur since he was a baby, andI refuse to believe it is just because of him. You are after revenge, aren't you?"

"I would already have it if those damn Pendragon's weren't so stubborn." Nimueh cursed, backing away from Merlin once again and resuming her pacing. Merlin kept quiet - partly because he wanted to see what she would have to say next and partly because she had a point. If there was one thing he had learnt in his few months in Camelot, it was the stubbornness of her rulers.

"So yes, I do want Arthur for revenge on Uther. But not purely for revenge, he would make a great King with my guidance, and I will not watch more of my –of _our_- people suffer at the tyrant's hands. You should be joining me, Merlin, not stopping me."

Merlin sighed, shaking his head almost sadly.

"Don't you get it? I was destined to make him King, it's part of why I even have my magic. I haven't studied it, Nimueh, I was born with it. For this purpose. Yet you have turned Arthur against me, told him things that he isn't ready to know. If you had just waited a few more years, it wouldn't just be Arthur that would accept magic, but everyone. You'll turn the people against it even more."

"What would you know, Merlin? You've led a sheltered life, you haven't had to watch those you love scream as the flames start to climb and the smoke fills their lungs until screaming is not longer possible. You haven't had to spend years living in hiding, in fear of who and what you are..."

"Don't presume to know anything about me!" Although it was not the same power in his voice as before, there was anger in Merlin's tone now as he struggled against the chains. Even though they were talking about magic, the thought of using it so openly didn't even occur to him at that moment in time. He had become too used to hiding it, to just let his eyes burn when there was someone standing directly in front of him was not something that he had ever had to comprehend before.

"Then don't presume you know what is going on here, warlock." Nimueh snapped. It was only then Merlin realised that she had not just stepped away from him, she was beginning to walk off. He fruitlessly tugged on the chains again, not liking the way she was taking the torch –the only source of light – with her.

"You still haven't told me why Arthur hates me!" It was a mixture of an attempt to get Nimueh to stay a little longer and therefore not take the light with her, and a burning desire to know how she had managed to turn Arthur against him so successful in only a short few days. He thought he was friends with the prince.

"Oh, Merlin..." This time, the warlock wasn't quick enough to hide his shudder at the smirk she sent over her shoulder at him. "I told him that you were responsible for everything that happened to him in this cave. And then he saw you using magic for himself. My work here is done."

"Nimueh! Nimueh, get back here! You can't do this to him!" The witch merely laughed and disappeared for good this time, leaving a panting warlock struggling against the chains. After a few moments, he managed to force himself to calm down, knowing that if he kept pulling on his wrists like this, he was going to pass out. He had to think of Arthur, had to think of how he was going to get the prince away from here, and that was not something he could do whilst unconscious. At least if he could calm himself down, get his emotions back under his control rather than running wild, it would mean that he would be able to control his magic better as well.

Merlin didn't know whether it was because of the way his powers worked, if it was just him or something that happened to all sorcerers, but if he was emotional, he found that his magic was harder to control. Right now, he was in pain, worried, frustrated, a tad on the scared side and if he had to admit it, angry. Nimueh wasn't just messing with his destiny by doing this. She was going after his friend, and that was something that Merlin was not happy to just sit by and let happen.

He wouldn't get Arthur out of here because his magic was telling him too, or that he was the future King of Camelot. He was going to get the prince out for no other reason than to make sure that his friend was safe.

MMM

Leon didn't know why, but he had stayed quiet about what he had discovered. The rest of the slavers might have been good at avoiding detection, but when it came down to the fighting part of being caught, the Knights made short work of securing them. A couple of the men were instructed to escort the slavers back to Camelot in order to await judgement from the king, whilst a few others were given the task of trying to help those captured get back to their homes. The handful of men remaining, however, were going to continue on their search for the prince.

Leon had found himself in that latter group along with, to his great discomfort, Eric. He didn't know what he was supposed to say to the men. Eric was older than him, outranked him and although Leon knew that he could best the man in a fair fight, he wasn't sure it would ever come to that. After all, if he truly had been involved with the slavers, if he had done something to Merlin, then Leon didn't think that he would get the chance for it to be a fair fight.

In fact, there was something so unnerving about the way Eric seemed to be almost always watching him as they left behind the slaver's camp. They had fallen behind in their schedule for trying to locate Arthur, but at least they knew the prince was not in this part of the forest. Instead, the remaining knights were doubling back the way they had come originally, pushing the horses hard as they tried to make up for lost time. The moon was high in the sky by the time a reluctant Bors drew the group to a stop, knowing that there was a strong chance they would miss something if they continued in such darkness. Camp had been made and the men split up to catch some sleep. Leon couldn't sleep though, and had opted to making sure that his back was pressed against a tree. He had never truly seen eye to eye with Eric, yet never before had he felt afraid of one of his fellow knights. He had lied about Merlin, although Leon still didn't know whether the servant was alive or not. He had to hope though, had to believe that if things were already not what they seemed then Arthur's loyal servant still had a chance to be alive.

Leon wasn't sure whether he had dozed or not when a movement jerked him back into reality. Gareth was on watch, meaning that nothing would be able to get anywhere near the camp without the knights being woken up. The sound had been nothing more than a twig cracking, yet Leon found that his heart was pounding hard as he squinted into the darkness. Someone was walking around the camp, and considering he just about heard Gareth offer a low greeting before turning back around again, he had to assume that it was one of the knights. As Leon silently watched, another one was shaken awake and the two stepped out into the cover of the trees. They had moved away from the rest of the knights and any listening ears, meaning Leon found his curiosity automatically spiked.

The younger knight didn't even have to make it to the trees before he realised who it had to be. Both Eric and Jorah were missing from the party, and Leon wondered if he could get close enough to hear what they were discussing. Maybe it would just be the answers that he was seeking in order to figure out what had happened to Merlin. Ignoring Gareth's annoyed comment about not understanding why he was on watch if they were all just going to walk off anyway, Leon made sure that he didn't head precisely in the same direction as the others had gone, but weaved to one side. As the star-scattered sky disappeared behind the canopy of branches, he doubled around and silently closed in on the talking pair from the other side.

"...you understand?" It was Eric who was speaking as Leon got closer, the knight knew he would recognise the man's voice anywhere. Leon couldn't quite see what was going on, but he could hear the threat in the words.

"I don't want to be a part of it!"

"It was you who suggested them."

"I didn't expect _that_..." Leon crept closer, holding his breath as he took shelter behind a tree to make sure that he couldn't be seen. That had been Jorah's voice answering, and now he was convinced that they were trying to get their story straight before people started asking questions. After all, Leon hadn't been the only one to get on well with Merlin and all he would need to do was make an innocent comment in order for questions to be asked.

"You seemed to be enjoying yourself when you were there."

"I thought you were just going to leave him, not actually come out with some lie about bandits and him being killed. That's another thing, what the hell did you knock me out for?"

"I had to make it look real, didn't I? And keep your voice down." Leon didn't need to see Eric's face to know that the man would be completely unfazed by the undeniable anger in Jorah's voice The man thought that he was untouchable, and if he had simply sold Merlin onto slavers without even batting an eyelid at it, Leon had to wonder whether it was perhaps true. After all, the knights were the ones to enforce the law, meaning there was no one other than his fellow comrades and the king that had the authority to hold Eric responsible for his actions. Judging by the threat in his voice that he had been addressing Jorah with, he clearly didn't think the other men would call him out on it.

Unfortunately for Eric, there was one knight that was more than prepared to put a stop to him. Leon didn't want to consider whether he would risk it if it had just been another servant, someone other than Merlin, but he did know that he wasn't going to allow it to continue for any longer. Taking one step out from the tree, he did nothing else to announce his presence, but instead opted to see how long it took them to realise that he was there. Eric had his back to the trees Leon had been hiding behind, but Jorah was facing him. Almost immediately, the knight's eyes slid past Eric and widened in surprise and, if Leon's own eyes weren't deceiving him, just a touch of fear. Eric stopped talking as Jorah gasped and very slowly turned around

Leon's chin lifted and he glared at the man defiantly.

"I hope you got a good price for the prince's most trusted servant and friend." He said coolly, secretly impressed with himself for being able to keep his cool in front of a man that had always tried to put him down thanks to Leon's closer relationship with Arthur. If looks could kill, Leon knew that he wouldn't have even finished his sentence thanks to the glare that Eric was shooting him.

"Maybe you should run along back to bed so we can find your precious prince." Eric spat, and Leon was not the only one who was surprised at the sheer venom in his voice.

"What did you do to him?"

"Dragged the brat off and gave him what he deserved. He is just a servant, Leon, to concern yourself over his welfare like this is not fitting for a knight." Eric shrugged casually as he spoke, looking for all the world like he truly didn't care what happened to Merlin one way or the other. Leon frowned in a mixture of annoyance and anger.

"Arthur does." He retorted softly, wondering how someone could have such a disregard for another person.

"And you know how the king does not approve. Don't stick your nose into things that don't concern you. You are young, you don't deserve to have any misfortunate befall you."

"Are you threatening me?" Leon said coldly, taking a step forward. One good thing about being so on edge when they had made camp was that he had never got around to taking his sword off. Now, he just let his hand rest on the pommel, his actions relaxed yet making a point. Jorah visibly swallowed, attempting to back off as Eric's glare turned even icier.

"I'm warning you..."

"Merlin was a good man." Leon's quiet voice cut through Eric's warnings and the knight blinked. He seemed to realise that referring to their stations was no longer going to work. Leon was seeing Merlin as a friend who had been wronged, and Eric would know from experience there wasn't many emotions that strong that would lead to a desire for revenge. Leon was noble through and through, not just in his titles but in his mannerisms as well. He wouldn't take justice into his own hands, not when he had the prince's ear in a way none of the others did. He would deal with this properly, and if it had been any other situation, Eric might have even respected that about one of their youngest knights. He nodded softly, making to turn away as if he was about to walk back to camp calmly. Leon took a step forward, grateful that he was beginning to see sense.

But unfortunately, it just meant that the punch Eric sent his way just collided with even more force than the knight himself had been anticipating. Staggering back, Leon blinked at the two men for a long moment, trying to force his vision to focus. He had to warn Bors, he had to tell them what Eric was up too...

"Maybe if you are lucky, the rest of the knights will find you on their way back. Otherwise it is bandits for you, boy." Leon's hand managed to find a tree as Eric spoke, attempting to keep himself upright. He was vaguely aware of Eric grabbing Jorah by the front of his shirt and dragging him back towards the camp. Feeling the sting of Eric's punch, Leon knew what Jorah had said before was true, the larger man had knocked him out when they had returned and claimed that it was bandits who had attacked them. Leon knew there had been something odd about a bandit wearing a ring, but his grief for Merlin and worry over Arthur meant that he hadn't dwelled on the matter. Now, however, the knight was kicking himself for not paying attention. Leon took a step forward, a last effort to try and stop them, but he didn't even make it an inch before the ground rushed up to meet him.

He just hoped that they did manage to find Arthur and the prince would push the matter over what had happened to his servant. For Leon could do no more as blackness overtook his senses and he knew no more.

MMM

"How does it feel?"

The voice cut through the darkness and made Merlin jump, causing him to swing from the chains for a moment whilst he got his body back under control. Whilst calming himself down, he had somehow managed to get a little sleep although he still felt exhausted. Lifting his head, Merlin squinted as a bright torch flared into existence and made him look away again.

"What?" He wasn't sure whether he should feel relieved or not that Arthur was the one standing in front of him, a frown on his face like he couldn't quite figure Merlin out. In a way, it was good that Nimueh hadn't returned for Merlin wasn't sure he was in the mood to be dealing with the witch just now. But considering Arthur had knocked him out the last time they had been face to face, this wasn't necessarily any better.

"Being strung up like that. Hurts, doesn't it? Three days you left me chained up there!" Despite the anger in Arthur's voice, Merlin found himself feeling a rush of relief. He hadn't yet figured out how Nimueh had managed to control Arthur for long enough to drug him, and that had been concerning him. On hearing she had done nothing more complicated than chaining him up was good, it meant she hadn't used any more magic on him.

"Arthur, I didn't chain you up. I'm not the reason you are here, I'm trying to get you out." Knowing that he couldn't blame the prince if Nimueh had been messing with his mind, Merlin opted for trying to keep his voice soft and reassuring. He had seen the frown of confusion as he had passed out in the clearing. Merlin wasn't sure Nimueh had the control over Arthur that she thought she did.

"You are. Nimueh told me! She showed me using magic!"

"And in order to do so, she must have used magic herself, right?"

"Don't turn this back on her, she helps me." Arthur snapped, and Merlin groaned at realising that although he was now fighting for the wrong side, Arthur hadn't changed in the slightest. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to keep calm.

"How?"

"She gives me the potion. The one that makes all the pain go away and everything make sense again. She helps whatever you have done go away." It was only then that Merlin realised the way Arthur's hands were fidgeting. It seemed that whatever this potion was, it was affecting him more than one way. Merlin had to hand it to Nimueh, she had been clever about this.

"I've done nothing to you, I'm trying to help you."

"Don't lie, sorcerer. You keep us both here for your own twisted games." Finally, Merlin felt that he had something to work with.

"How do I keep you here, Arthur?" For a moment, Merlin wasn't sure that Arthur was going to answer him, but then he saw the slight frown reappear again.

"You chained me up. Nimueh got me out though, she always does."

"I see. And how do I stop her from leaving? After all, you've said yourself that she used magic to show you me doing the same. If she has magic as well, why hasn't she defeated me? She clearly can, especially with you at her side."

"Because..."

"Because I haven't been here, Arthur." Merlin pressed, seeing that Arthur's frown was deepening slightly as he tried to think through what Merlin was saying. "I haven't ever been here before apart from when I found you in the clearing before. But say I have, why haven't you seen me? Why hasn't Nimueh got you out if she cares that much for you?"

"Because of your filthy magic." Arthur growled, and Merlin had to struggle to let the insult slide. After all, Arthur hadn't said that Nimueh's magic was bad, just the man's that he, right now, thought was his enemy. Maybe there would be hope for them all in the end? Knowing that now was not the time for that, Merlin kept going.

"What magic?"

"The magic you filled the clearing with. The dark magic. Nimueh said it was bad, that it would hurt me."

"Did it? You were out there in that clearing waiting for me, Arthur. You were up there. Was there any magic? Did anything hurt you? I thought that I untied you, that I tried to help you?"

"But..." Arthur never finished his sentence. In the flickering light, Merlin could see him biting his lip, clearly trying to think of a comeback.

"Come on, Arthur, think." Merlin whispered, his voice imploring for the prince that he knew to come back. It was unnerving seeing Arthur like this, and Merlin could only hope that when the prince regained his wits, he would not still consider Merlin to be the enemy. Arthur took a shaky step back, shaking his head.

"She... you... I don't... she said that you would kill me if I escaped."

"Yet there you were, out of these caves, and yet you are still alive now." Keeping his voice soft and gentle, Merlin found that he was practically holding his breath as Arthur frowned at him. He could almost see his brain working overtime in order to cut through the mist Nimueh had forced to descend on his mind.

"Come back, Arthur, you know me."

Arthur suddenly stumbled backwards again, the torch dropping from his hand and sitting on the cold stones, flickering harmlessly. The prince staggered into the wall, one hand stretching out to support himself as he gazed at the man opposite him. Chained up and seeming to be helpless, Merlin was now glad that he hadn't used magic to escape. If he could make himself look weak, then maybe Arthur would be more inclined to believe him. Instead, he locked eyes with his master, smiling gently as Arthur's own eyes widened in shock.

"Merlin?" he whispered, his voice trembling as much as his body, and Merlin found he almost sagged in relief. There had been true recognition in that one word. Arthur wasn't lost yet.


	13. Chapter 13

**Thank you once again for all of the lovely reviews and support, it means a lot.**

"Yes! Yes, Arthur, it's me." Trying to keep his voice calm so as not to alarm the prince, Merlin smiled reassuringly in the flickering flame. "You remember?"

"I don't..." Arthur was staring at Merlin hard, as if should he so much as blink, the warlock would vanish and he would be stuck here on his own again. Merlin kept the eye contact, willing his prince to come back to him. He would stay like this all day if he had to, do anything for a hint that Arthur could still be saved. He had been naive to think that Nimueh would have just let her "prize" go. By going after Arthur in the way she had, Merlin knew this was as much about saving Arthur from himself as it was about getting him away from Nimueh. The warlock just hoped that whatever she had been giving him was only temporary, or that Gaius would have a way of countering the effects when Merlin got him home again. But right now, he was focusing on the fact that Arthur seemed to be prepared to talk to him as Merlin, rather than the enemy sorcerer he had helped to capture.

"Think, Sire. You know me, it's _Mer_lin, your clumsy, annoying servant. I'm always late in the mornings and you have developed a really annoying habit of throwing things at me every time that I am..." Continuing to speak in a soothing, quiet voice, Merlin was staring at Arthur with as much intensity as the prince was staring back at him. He knew there had been recognition in Arthur's voice when he had said Merlin's name, it was like he truly knew who it was he was looking at. Whatever Nimueh had been giving him, it had obviously taken numerous dosages in order to have this sort of affect on Arthur, and Merlin just hoped that it meant he was still continuing to fight it off.

"You...magic..." Merlin sighed, glancing down to where his feet were swinging above the floor. So many times he had dreamt of Arthur finding out that he had magic, some scenarios resulting in a less fortunate outcome than others. But he had hoped that he would at least get the chance to explain rather than Arthur having already made up his mind that Merlin was the enemy. In fact, even if that had been the case, Merlin knew it wouldn't be too bad. Better than knowing the one person who wanted to destroy their destiny was the reason why Arthur was even thinking it. This was all wrong, and for the life of him, Merlin wasn't sure how to fix it. He just had to hope that being honest now would somehow make Arthur begin to trust him.

"I won't lie to you, Arthur, that is true. I did try and keep it from you, only because the time wasn't right. I would have told you one day, I never wanted you to find out like this..."

"You lied to me." The coldness in Arthur's voice made Merlin shudder, despite himself. It was unnerving how much Arthur could say like his father when he spoke like that. Considering the topic of conversation, that fact was doing nothing to help Merlin's nerves.

"Yes. I had no choice, I would have been executed otherwise."

"So you are lying now?"

"No!" Forgetting to keep his voice calm, Merlin pulled against his chains, moaning as it cut into his wrists. "No, I swear to you, I'm telling you the truth! All I want is to get you home, away from this place. You want that too, don't you? I can see it in your eyes. Think to what we said before, Arthur. About the clearing and the magic there, Nimueh lied to you..."

"So did you. You said so yourself. How do I know which of you to trust?" Merlin sighed, taking a deep breath as he tried to stop himself just lashing out in frustration. Any sign of violence was just more likely to make Arthur turn against him, especially if Nimueh had been genuinely looking after him as far as Arthur was aware. He was trying to get Arthur to turn against the person he saw as a friend and trust the one he thought was the enemy. If Nimueh had done the exact same thing, however, did that not mean Merlin stood at least something of a chance?

He knew that he could get through to Arthur to some extent, the fact that the conversation had moved on this far at all was proof of that. Yet if this was a simple matter of revenge, Merlin might have more of an idea of how to get through to Arthur. But it wasn't, Nimueh seemed to genuinely care about Arthur to a certain extent. He only hoped that it would mean she wouldn't hurt him, but considering the scratch marks across Arthur's chest, he couldn't be sure. He also had a feeling that, unlike had it just been revenge, she was going to fight a lot harder to hold onto Arthur. Revenge, Merlin would just have to save Arthur from being killed. But this? Especially as he didn't truly know what _this_ even was, he had no idea what she would do in order to try and get her own way.

"Come on, Arthur, it's me. You know you can trust me. I warned you about Valiant, didn't I? You didn't trust me then, yet I was right." Arthur blankly just looked at him, and Merlin cursed when he realised that whilst Arthur was somehow managing to remember who Merlin was, he had no recollection of the events since the warlock had come to be his manservant.

"I helped you defeat the Afanc? I saved your life from Lady Helen? Please, Arthur, you must remember something!" Even as Merlin pleaded with his master to be able to remember something, his eyes fell on Arthur's fist. The prince was clenching and relaxing it alternatively, but his face was calm – it wasn't anger that was making him act like this, it was like he didn't even know that he was doing it. As Merlin frowned in confusion, he saw the way Arthur's fingers were moving, his nails scratching over the palm of his hand. There were already deep red lines there, and even as Merlin watched, the skin broke slightly.

"Arthur, stop it! Your hand, stop doing that!"

"I'm not doing anything. And if you truly are my servant, then you have to do as you are told."

"Oh Arthur, please remember me. I never do as I'm told." Merlin sighed, unable to draw his eyes away from the blood smears now across Arthur's hand. Unbidden, something that Gaius once told him sprang into mind and Merlin all but groaned.

"Please tell me you're not?"

"Not what?" Arthur snapped, taking a few steps away from Merlin and picking up the torch again with his good hand. Flinching as the light was once again shined directly in his eyes, Merlin did his best to not look away.

"You're addicted to it, aren't you?"

"I don't know what you are talking about." This time, Merlin just let his head hang. That hadn't been the voice of someone confused, that had been Arthur denying it. His tone had been cold and dismissive, one Merlin recognised from his early days with the prince. Arthur knew that he was out of control. Knowing the prince as well as he did, Merlin was sure that Arthur would hate the fact that his body was craving something without his permission. But unless Arthur admitted it out loud – something Merlin knew he would never do – Merlin knew that he wouldn't be able to get through to Arthur like this.

"Arthur?" Shaking his head softly as it hung, Merlin only flickered his eyes up to see Nimueh standing in the entrance of the cave to where Merlin was being held. He didn't want her to have the satisfaction of knowing that whilst Merlin might have got Arthur back a certain amount, he had no way of truly bringing the prince back. Arthur glanced around, but Merlin was relieved to find that he didn't relax. Instead, his head almost seemed to swivel between the two, and even as the torch was turning away, Merlin had seen the look on Arthur's face and had to smile.

Despite his words, Arthur looked confused. He didn't know which one of them to believe. But when Nimueh pulled out a small bottle, Arthur almost sprang across the cave. The torch was dropped to the floor as he snatched the bottle out of her hand, trembling violently as he tried to get the stopper out. He was shaking too much though, and eventually gave a growl of frustration.

"Here, let me help you." Nimueh might have been addressing Arthur, but her eyes were locked on Merlin as she spoke, a smirk on her face. She didn't look away as she made a show of pulling the stopper out of the bottle, almost causing whimpers to come from Arthur when she didn't give it to him straight away. Her hand moved, offering it to him, and the prince almost lunged for it. Her smirk only widened as she watched the helpless look on Merlin's face. He couldn't move quick enough to stop Arthur, yet could only watch as the prince downed the contents, almost groaning in pleasure as his nerves were finally calmed down once more. The bottle fell from his grasp as he sagged against the wall, falling with a crash that seemed to echo around the cave. Nimueh shot Merlin a satisfied smirk and stepped closer to Arthur, cupping his chin, forcing him to look at her.

"Arthur?"

"Wha-?" There was real fear in Arthur's eyes as he glanced between them that Merlin didn't think he had ever seen before, nor did he ever want to see again. He didn't want to know what it must feel like to not have a clue where you were or who you were with. Nimueh immediately smiled – a look that was so different to the smirk she had been sending Merlin – and stroked his hair back almost tenderly.

"Nimueh, remember? I'm helping you, Arthur. You remember, don't you? The man, we caught him... we can escape." Arthur's eyes slowly focused on her face and he nodded clumsily, almost as if he was telling himself to believe it.

"No! No, Arthur, don't listen to her! She is the one responsible for all of this, she kidnapped you, she's drugged you. Don't listen to her, listen to me! You know me. Arthur, please!" Merlin knew he could not just stay quiet and listen as Nimueh once again fed Arthur lies. If she had to remind the prince of who _she_ was, it meant that Arthur was struggling to remember what had just happened. If Nimueh didn't have the time to convince him, if Merlin could somehow get through to his master whilst Arthur was still in this state of confusion, he might stand a chance. Nimueh's head turned towards him, and the kind look from before settled into nothing short of a murderous glare as she waved her hand. Merlin grunted as he was hoisted further into the air, trying to breathe past the pain in his wrists. He didn't try to stop himself from stopping the sound of pain though. If Arthur knew it was Merlin being hurt, not Nimueh, then surely he simply _had_ to believe that Merlin was the one telling the truth all along?

"Art-mph!" Merlin's words were stolen from him as Nimueh produced a gag out of seemingly thin air, tying it firmly around his mouth. Merlin hadn't even seen her move across the cave until she was gagging him and fisting her hand in his hair, yanking his head back until he had no choice but to look at the ceiling. His legs kicked out feebly as tears sprang to his eyes from the grip. He was trying not to think about how vulnerable he was like this with his throat bared and exposed for anything to happen. All she would have to do was give Arthur a knife...Merlin shuddered, determined that he was not going to let himself think like that. He had to believe that he could still get through to Arthur, even if his voice had been muted.

"Don't listen to him, Arthur. He is trying to turn you against me..."

"So why is he the one tied up? I want to hear what he has to say. If what you say is true about him being the one to be behind all of this, I want to hear why." Merlin could have sobbed with relief. He could feel Nimueh's hand tighten in his hair and knew that it was her way of showing her frustration. She had had Arthur... yet believing that she would be able to turn him against his destiny was proving harder than she had clearly anticipated.

"He'll just tell you lies, little prince. But if it is what you want..." Nimueh let go of Merlin's hair as quickly as she had grabbed it and his chin practically hit his chest as he dropped. "But he is vindictive, vicious even. You'll need your strength, come and eat first. Then you can talk to him all you like, I promise." Nimueh's voice was sickeningly sweet as she once again moved back to Arthur, taking his hand and drawing him out of the cave, picking up the torch on the way. It was clear that she was intending to leave Merlin alone in the dark again, probably hoping that it would do something to stop him getting in her way so much.

Merlin let out a muffled noise, his attempt to plead with Arthur to not go. He knew that if Arthur walked out right now, he would not return for a simple chat. Nimueh would not take the chance that all of her hard work could be undone, and would do something to make sure that Arthur was hers. Even as he watched, the witch's grip tightened on Arthur as she tried to pull him out faster. Yet the only thing that gave Merlin a hint of hope was that Arthur paused for a moment, looking back into the darkness of the cave. Even with the light behind the prince and sending strange shadows bouncing around the walls, Merlin could see the confusion in Arthur's eyes as he gazed towards the restrained warlock. Nimueh's insistent tugging on his hand meant that he eventually turned away, but Merlin felt a rush of hope go shooting through him nonetheless. He might be going with Nimueh, but that didn't mean that he believed her.

As soon as Arthur disappeared from sight, Merlin acted. Enough was enough, he had to get Arthur back. The longer the prince was left with Nimueh, the less chance that Merlin had of getting them both out of this alive. Through awkwardly twisting his head and pushing out with his tongue, Merlin managed to force the gag out of his mouth. Once he had done so, he craned his head up to look at the chains holding him.

"_Unbinde pe teage!"_ Hissing under his breath, Merlin felt the warming rush of magic race through his blood, and with a snap, the manacles holding him fell open. The warlock grunted as he toppled out, hitting the floor and his injured leg buckling under him. Pitching forward, a hiss escaped him as his hands were then used to take his weight and jarring his wrists. For a few moments, he could only stay where he was, balancing in a strange position as he struggled to get his breathing back under control and to stop the white spots from dancing in his vision. It was only through sheer willpower that he didn't simply pass out, but eventually, Merlin was satisfied that he could move again without the darkness claiming him.

He shuffled awkwardly over to the cave wall, resting one hand against it and leaning slightly in order to take the full weight off his leg. This was going to be harder than he thought, every inch of him seemed to hurt. Not only his leg and his wrists, but he could still feel a dull throb in his head from Arthur's blow and it was making him feel decidedly sick. But Merlin also knew that he had no time to dwell on it now. He had to move, and just hope that he was strong enough to protect Arthur if it came to it. Leaving his hand resting on the cave wall as a way of guiding himself through the darkness, Merlin stumbled forward. He soon found himself in a larger cavern, but didn't have to think about which way he was supposed to go. The soft candlelight flickering out from the passage on his left answered that, coupled with the low hum of voices if he strained his ears.

Taking a deep breath, Merlin set off. He was fully aware that this was unlike anything he had ever done before. His magic was instinctual, used to being used in secret but ready to leap to his defence if he should need it. To go against someone who had been a master of spells before he was even born, knowing that he was trying to take the one thing from her that she had spent twenty years trying to claim, Merlin knew he might not be walking away from this one. But as he turned a corner, immediately pressing himself against the wall as he realised they were just in front of him, he knew that he didn't care. He _had_ to get Arthur out.

There was what looked like a banquet spread around the cave floor and he had seen Nimueh lounging comfortably on a rug. But what confused him was Arthur. The man had appeared to be kneeling up, his position tense and uncomfortable. Sticking his head back around again for another look, Merlin only just stifled his gasp.

Arthur was indeed kneeling up. His hands were tied behind his back with what looked like to be a strong rope, but to Merlin's discomfort, he wasn't struggling. Instead, there seemed to be an almost whimper escaping him. Swallowing down his anger, Merlin opted for listening, wondering if he could figure out what was going on.

"I'm not sure if you have been good enough for food you know, little prince." Nimueh was in the process of mocking Arthur, and Merlin's hands clenched into fists. He was so sure that she cared for him.

"Please! I have, I got him and everything! Please, let me..." This was not the Arthur Merlin knew and he found he was shaking his head in sadness. How long had she been starving him for? How long had the promise of food coupled with the confusion of the drug left Arthur in this weak and vulnerable state to the extent that he was begging?

"You remember all I've tried to do is help you? He is the evil one, and yet you questioned me. I have to make sure that I can trust you."

"I know. You can trust me, just give me..."

"Manners, Arthur."

"Please...please, let me have it, you know how much I need it." Looking back around, Merlin sighed. It wasn't food that Nimueh was denying him. It was more of whatever was in that bottle, and from his angle, Merlin could see that the prince's hands were starting to twist in the restraints. He wasn't fighting to get free, he was fighting to get to whatever it was. Wondering if he could use this to his advantage, Merlin let his eyes flash in the darkness and the same word as before rolled off his tongue. Nimueh's eyes narrowed in anger as the resounding snap of the rope echoed throughout the cave, but no sooner had she locked eyes with Merlin had Arthur lunged forward.

"Give it to me!" Nimueh only just moved in time, climbing to her feet and barking a word. Arthur collapsed with a groan at her feet, arms clenched around his stomach.

"You see what you have made me do now, Merlin?" She called, making it more than obvious she knew he was there. Merlin stepped forward even as Nimueh dropped to her knees beside Arthur. The prince's head craned around as he glanced back at Merlin, confusion over the fact that he was standing there more than obvious in pain filled eyes. He didn't say anything though, just curled up tighter as another moan forced its way past his lips.

"Shh, Arthur, just relax. You shouldn't have resisted, you know that. I thought you had learnt that lesson? Do I have to make you sleep again?" Merlin could only watch as Arthur shook his head desperately. He looked like he was trying to push himself away from Nimueh, yet at the same time seemed to be hesitating, almost as if he wasn't sure whether he should or not. "Now you see why he is so evil? I want to look after you, Arthur, I want to make all this go away. But you have to stop resisting me. That man is making you resist, so we have to get rid of him."

"Leave him alone." Merlin's hand rose as he listened to Nimueh's sickeningly sweet voice. In a way, it was breaking his heart. Arthur was listening to it, clinging onto her every word as if it was all he knew. Considering that Merlin was beginning to understand what she had been doing to him during his absence, the warlock knew that was the problem. Nimueh was all that Arthur knew right now, and he would do whatever it took to get his hands on the bottle that was being held just out of his reach. What the warlock hadn't been expecting, however, was for Nimueh to throw a spell at him, knocking him backwards of his feet. It was only temporary, but even as Merlin pushed himself back upright again, she was talking to Arthur.

"I'll make you a deal. All this, it will stop and go away. You'll be able to have as much as you want, whenever you want it..."

"Arthur, don't listen to her!"

"... I just need you to do one thing." Nimueh moved back as Arthur pushed himself up on all fours, his head hanging as his breathing came in short, panting gasps. Merlin could see the sweat beading on his forehead as Arthur forced himself to look up at Nimueh. The witch reached down, and picked up a long, slender knife.

"I need you to kill him."

"Arthur, no! You know me, you know I'm telling you the truth when I say come away. Please, listen to me, you have to... _Scied!"_ Only just in time did Merlin's hand lift in order for the shield to appear to block Nimueh's next spell. He scrambled off the ground even as Arthur picked up the knife.

"You've never duelled with magic, have you, Merlin?" Nimueh called, stepping back and shooting another spell at him. This time, Merlin simply ducked. "Whoever is on the defence from the beginning has lost. You don't know enough magic..."

"_Wace ierlic!"_ Yelling as loud as he could, Merlin felt a flash of satisfaction as Nimueh was thrown back, but then he realised that he couldn't see Arthur. Merlin felt himself freezing, taking a tentative step forward in order to try and peer around the piece of rock jutting out. He hadn't heard Arthur move, but he knew that when it came to the prince, that didn't mean anything. Arthur could be silent when he wanted, it was why he was one of Camelot's top knights. Yet there was no sign of him, only Nimueh trying to find her footing again.

"Arthur?" Trying to make his voice as reassuring as possible, Merlin swallowed as he looked around. The prince had to be around here somewhere. Nimueh's face split into a smirk, and this time, Merlin wasn't quick enough to duck or shield against her spell before he was thrown backwards again. His head collided with the floor, and for a long moment, Merlin could only lay there, trying to work out which way was up and which was down when a shadow fell over him. Initially, he thought that it was Nimueh come to finish him off herself, but when he finally got his eyes to focus, he saw that it was Arthur standing over him, knife in hand.

"However much you want, whenever you want it, Arthur. Just finish the job, free us."

Merlin simply swallowed, staring up at his master as Arthur dropped to his knees beside Merlin. It showed how much his training had rubbed off on him though, because he clearly could still remember what to do. The movements were almost a second nature to him, and Merlin didn't have time to flinch before Arthur had grabbed his arm. Somehow, the prince twisted Merlin's arm until he was pressing down on his own throat, keeping him pinned to the floor even as Arthur raised the knife. Feeling his legs kick out helplessly, Merlin shook his head as best as he could considering his position.

"Arthur, please..." He croaked, feeling his airways being cut off even as the knife came to a stop, directly above his chest.

"Will you be able to give me what I want like she can?" Arthur's voice was nothing more than a whisper, yet Merlin heard him as if he had shouted it.

"No." He answered honestly, but hastily pressed on when the knife was lifted higher. "But I can make it so that you won't want anything like this, you won't have to rely on anyone." Merlin had to admit that his heart had sped up dramatically as he read the intent in Arthur's eyes. The prince was literally going to side with the one that could get him what he wanted, and because of that, the end of Merlin's sentence came out in nothing more than a garbled confusion. Arthur paused, clearly thinking it through before the tension in his hand loosened.

"I really know you?"

"You do, Arthur. You know that I would never hurt you, not the way she has. I wouldn't force you to do anything just to give you what you wanted."

"Do it, Arthur! Do it now!" Nimueh seemed to realise that Arthur was not – and never would be – a coldblooded killer. Even as the knife fell from his hand, clattering harmlessly to the ground (if Merlin screwed up his eyes with the belief it was about to hit him in the chest, no one said anything about it), Nimueh screamed in anger. Before Merlin could do anything, Arthur was thrown back from him.

Scrambling upright, he turned just in time to see Arthur thrown against the wall, chains appearing and holding him fast. In a way, Merlin knew that it meant he couldn't be hurt right now, and instead turned to face Nimueh. She was glaring at him, anger and magic making her eyes look more than fiery.

"You will not take him from me, boy."

"You will not get in the way of my destiny." Ignoring Arthur' struggles coming from behind him, Merlin stood up, his own eyes blazing with power. Nimueh shot a spell at him, and Merlin simply brushed it aside as if it was nothing more than a troublesome fly.

"Give it up, Nimueh, I'm taking him home."

"Never!" Another spell was shot at him and Merlin sighed, side stepping it easily. He didn't feel the pain from any of his injuries any more, the hum of magic racing through him making him feel alive and vibrant. Without a word, his eyes pulsed a solid gold and Nimueh was once more blasted off her feet. She struck the cave wall hard and with an almost sickening thud, and Merlin knew that if she was alive, she wouldn't be troubling him any time soon.

The magic drained away from him as suddenly as it had appeared and he was forced to rest a hand on the cave wall, acutely aware that he was shaking violently and the urge to be sick was more prominent than ever. But he couldn't stop a smile from spreading over his face. He had done it! Nimueh might have only been out cold for all he knew, but it would be time enough to get Arthur home.

Even as thoughts of the prince filled his mind, Merlin heard a sound that he thought would make his heart stop. A sharp crack of rock breaking filled the air and Merlin slowly turned. The spell he had dodged hadn't simply fizzled out of existence, it had instead struck the cave wall. The section of the wall was coming loose, and despite the fact that his hand was rising, his mind racing through spells that would stop the rock fall, Merlin wasn't quick enough.

The rocks came thundering down, a whole section of the wall collapsing from where the deadly intent of the spell was revealed. But Merlin's horror filled eyes were locked on the chained figure. Arthur looked up almost in slow motion, before he promptly disappeared behind the falling rocks with nothing more than a yell.

"Arthur!" Running forward, Merlin slipped as one of the rocks came clattering towards him and hit the ground hard. His arms were thrown up over his head in an attempt to protect himself, yet he couldn't be sure if he heard the scream of pain from under the rock fall or whether it had only been in his mind.

What he did know, however, was when the rocks finally stopped and the dust settled, all was silent.


	14. Chapter 14

**Thank you so much once again for the amazing reviews, it really means a lot to me.**

It was the pounding in his head that originally brought Leon back to consciousness with a groan. He lurched into a strange sitting position, one hand resting shakily on a nearby tree as he tried to stop himself from vomiting everywhere. There was a resonating thud in the back of his head which he couldn't quite account for and his left eye was practically swollen shut from where Eric had struck him.

Thinking about Eric made Leon groan again as he navigated himself around until he was fully leaning back on the tree. Would the other knights even realise he was missing yet? He knew what a talented liar Eric was, no doubt the man had just insisted that they were mistaken, that Bors had sent Leon off with the other groups. It was well known that Bors didn't particularly like Leon, his close relationship with the prince being something of a great annoyance to the man. It wouldn't have been a surprise if Bors tried to weaken that relationship by making sure that Leon wasn't in the rescue party. Even Arthur couldn't find a way to give his favourite knight the credit if the man wasn't even there.

Normally, it wouldn't bother Leon. He served because it was his duty, and any honour that came his way because of it was just an added bonus. Unlike some of the others, he didn't try and seek out honour in the same way, didn't put himself in front of the other men just so that he could say a victory was his doing. If he was honest, Leon wasn't sure he had the skill to do that, there was something political about arranging a situation in order for one person to make sure that they were the ones being noticed, regardless of their actual role. But what was worrying Leon was Eric's attitude towards Arthur. To what extent would the man go to make sure that he wasn't disgraced? Arthur was the one thing that stood between him and the King, and if Jorah spoke... Leon knew full well that Arthur was more believing of those he had previously dismissed, ever since Merlin came into his service. He might know that Jorah was just a coward covering his own skin, but he would still listen...

Gripping onto the tree, Leon forced himself upright, ignoring the way the world seemed to spin somewhat alarmingly in front of him and his stomach rolled in protest at the moment. There was no point sitting here thinking about what could possibly happen, he had to get out there... Whether to find Arthur and just save him, or find Bors and the others to warn them about Eric, Leon wasn't yet sure. He knew the knights would be trying to track Arthur, so all he had to do was follow their trail and he was bound to find one or the other. Leon couldn't stop the rush of relief from flooding through him as he realised that Eric had left him his sword. Trying not to think about whether that meant the man truly thought that he was no longer a threat, Leon closed his hand around the pommel. It seemed to lend him strength, giving him something to grip onto and focus on as his head twisted back around to clearing. Knowing that this wasn't going to be easy, he pushed himself away from the tree and slowly but surely began to walk.

It took him far longer than he was happy with in order to stumble back to where they had made camp. His mind had been so preoccupied when they had bedded down that he had kept himself to the edge. Now, however, he was thankful about that. It meant that all of his belongings were still right where he had left them, and taking a long swig of water and nibbling on a small piece of bread helped the pounding fade away ever so slightly. The bright sunlight streaming through the trees indicated he had been unconscious for a reasonable length of time, and Leon was just thankful that Eric's words about bandits hadn't come true. In his current state, there was no way he would be able to survive an attack. Knowing that he had to move before his very thoughts jinked his good luck, Leon hoisted his pack onto his back and began the slow task of putting one foot in front of the other.

The one thing that he was thankful for was the fact that he was trying to track the others. It meant that he could stop numerous times in order to check where he was going and therefore didn't feel quite as bad about his lack of speed. Every step sent a driving pain through his skull and more than once he had to use the forest in order to support himself. Precisely how hard had Eric hit him? He knew if he had felt like this back in Camelot, he would have been sent straight to Gaius.

But then the image of Merlin's bloodied jacket swam before his mind, coupled with the scarf that Eric had presented as "evidence" of Merlin's death. Leon still had it, tucked in the top of his pack. He wasn't sure why, yet he felt like it was up to him to try and return it to its rightful owner if he could. Of course, he had absolutely no idea where Merlin was now, if he was still indeed alive. The forest was riddled with danger, and the servant would have been alone and unarmed. Leon had a horrible feeling that he was wounded as well. He knew what Eric was like, knew how the man viewed the serving staff. The blood had been Merlin's, of that he was sure. But knowing that the servant had somehow been tricked by those he would have trusted, sold as a slave and injured, yet had still been able to escape... It gave Leon a sense of determination he wasn't sure he had ever truly felt before and kept putting one foot in front of the other, regardless of how it was making him feel. Not to mention it meant that he wanted to get to Arthur before the others even more now. He didn't want Eric to start telling the prince stories about what had happened to his servant whilst Arthur was missing. He knew how protective the young royal was of his staff, even if it didn't show, and Merlin's arrival in Camelot had only heightened that. He might shrug off anything that happened to the boy with a flippant comment, but Leon knew that if Arthur found out that Merlin had been "killed" whilst out looking for his master, he would never be able to forgive himself.

He followed the trail determinedly for a couple of hours, rolling his eyes at times at the route Bors was taking the men. He seemed to be sticking to the main path, as if he expected Arthur to simply be waiting for him around the next fallen log. Leon knew Arthur better than that. He knew that if the prince did escape, he would keep to the high ground, travelling along routes that were only known to those who knew the forest well. He would try and get the upper hand over his kidnapper.

As Bors' tracks lead down to the main route, Leon stopped, shaking his head in disbelief. He may be sore and tired, but this wasn't making sense. Why was Bors doing this? In the back of his mind, Leon knew. The man was just picking a direction, taking the most direct route to cover more ground. That was fine if they were in pursuit of something, but they weren't. They were trying to find Arthur, meaning it didn't matter how fast they travelled. They need accuracy, not speed, and Leon had had enough of going against his instinct. He didn't care about honour and glory, he just cared about getting Arthur safely back in Camelot.

Coming to a stop, the knight craned his head up, staring at the far denser foliage that rested along the gently sloping ground. Very slowly, he took one step, then another, leaving the tracks that the rest of the men had made and beginning to work his way up the slope. It was painful going, and Leon knew that it was taking him almost double the amount of time that he could have done it in if it wasn't for the blow to his head. Muttering curses about Eric under his breath – why did it have to be now out of all the times could the man's unsavoury side be revealed? Why couldn't it have waited until Arthur was safe? – Leon tried to ignore the pounding in his head and carefully focused on putting one foot in front of the other.

By the time he made it to the top of the slope, Leon was panting heavily, his head throbbing and his vision swimming slightly. But apart from the denser foliage up here compared to down on the main path, he knew that the hard part was over. The ground was flat and easy going now he had made it to the top. Even with having to search behind almost every tree and bush for the missing prince, he knew that he now had something to work with. Despite being on his own and injured, Leon knew he had far more chance of finding Arthur from up here than the others did scouting the ground below.

That didn't mean it was going to be easy, however. He had only just begun to check the ground for any tracks when a wave of dizziness overcame him. Knowing that he had no choice but to stop, Leon sat down heavily, pulling out his water skin and taking a long draught, almost sighing in relief as the feelings began to pass slightly. He bent over and rested his head against his legs for a moment. Somehow, the cool fabric against his throbbing eye was soothing. Sighing in weariness, Leon made to close his eyes, to find some way of gaining the strength that he needed in order to continue.

But before his eyes shut, something caught their attention. Frowning, Leon stretched out his hand to the splash of colour just in front of him that had drawn his gaze. His head lifted as his frown deepened and he rocked forward so that he was on his knees rather than just sitting there. Tugging off his gloves, he touched the rusty-coloured substance again, and knew instantly what it was. Blood.

Unbidden, his eyes then were drawn back to his pack. It was still open from where he had picked out his water skin, and he could see the patch of coloured material just peeking through. Swallowing hard, Leon stretched out a hand and pulled the neckerchief from its resting point, staring at it intently for a few moments before glancing back towards the blood. Anyone could be in these forests, ordinary people and bandits alike. The blood might not have been human, but someone wounded animal staggering through. It was at around the height of Leon's thigh if he stood up, meaning it could belong to anything. Yet somehow, the knight couldn't shake the feeling that was beginning to lodge itself in the pit of his stomach. He wasn't sure whether it was relief or worry, but he was almost convinced that Merlin had passed through this way.

His own weariness once more forgotten, Leon stuffed the scarf and his water skin away, hoisted his pack onto his shoulders, pulled on his gloves and started moving again. Very carefully, making sure that he hadn't missed anything, he began to track. There were a few blood smears in places, at other times it was where a branch had been bent back, but there was enough for a seasoned hunter such as the knight to be able to read the signs. Someone had been this way, not that long ago, maybe a few hours at the most? Rather than tracking a group of highly skilled knights sworn to protect Camelot and her royals, Leon found himself following the marks he believed to be left by an incredibly loyal servant. He didn't know if this was Merlin, or if it was why he had the feeling it would lead him to Arthur. Yet he knew that now he had seen the marks, he wouldn't be able to let it go.

Moving stealthy but with a speed he hadn't managed to accomplish before, Leon found himself covering ground as he was led further into the forest. He felt like he had been walking for hours when the forest suddenly gave way to a spacious clearing, a sheer rock face staring back at him from the other side of it. Frowning, Leon stepped out into it. For some reason, the hairs on the back of his neck prickled and he found that he had shrugged off his pack and drawn his sword almost before he had realised it. Why did it feel like something had led him here, something other than just the telltale signs of where someone had walked the same route before him?

The questions buzzing around his mind, however, were quickly and efficiently cut off as the whole ground seemed to shake. Staring in astonishment, Leon braced himself the best he could, but realised that the movement was coming from within the cave itself. With one hand resting against a tree, Leon could only watch, open mouthed, as a huge plume of dust seemed to waft almost lazily out from one of the many openings scattered along the rock face. Once it had cleared slightly, Leon knew what he had to do. He had to go in there.

The grip on his sword tightened, all the pain in his head forgotten about as he ran swiftly for the entrance. He knew that it might be dangerous, unstable even, walking straight into what he assumed was going to be caves considering part of it had just collapsed. But it was like there was something pulling at him, someone screaming out for help. Someone in this cave needed him, and despite his mistrust of anything even vaguely magical, the knight just told himself that it was his instincts and pressed on.

"_Arthur!"_

The scream made him stop short, before swearing and breaking into a full run. It wasn't only the words – although that would have been enough to make Leon run, for how many Arthur's could there be lost in the forest – it was the fact that up until very recently, he had believed the owner of that voice to be dead. The sound had given him enough noise to guide his way through the twisting caverns and he was soon emerging into a larger one. Leon's eyes were firmly drawn to one wall. Well, what was left of it.

A huge section of the wall had crumbled, looking like it had offered no warning before coming down. But that wasn't truly drew his attention. It was the lanky man on his hands and knees, clearly trying to pull away the rocks.

"Merlin?" Merlin jumped, whirling around. Leon was convinced for a split second that the servant's eyes had flared gold, but by the time he had blinked, it was the blue orbs gazing back at him in despair, tears swimming in them even as his hands gave another fruitless tug. Leon's eyes flickered up to where Merlin was digging, his heart sinking quicker than a stone in a pond as he thought back to Merlin's previous yell. The look on Merlin's face was all he needed to know.

Arthur was under there.

MMM

Merlin felt like he had watched the wall almost come down in slow motion. The one glimpse he had had of Arthur's face before the prince had disappeared was burnt into his mind's eye, that one look of utter helplessness even as his hands had once more tugged on the chains holding him prisoner. It had all happened so fast, Merlin hadn't even had time to think about using magic, his own senses had been overloading him at the time after everything that had just happened.

But as soon as the dust had settled, he had crawled forward and began digging. Every spell he could think of that would clear the rubble would do so to an elaborate degree, blasting the rock out of the way rather than simply shifting it. With Arthur under there, and with no idea how he was, if he was...No, he was alive, he had to be. But that didn't help Merlin, he couldn't think of anything magical he could do apart from fall to his knees, dig and hope that he got there in time.

"Merlin?"

To say the voice made him jump was an understatement and the warlock spun sharply, magic immediately rushing to his defence. Only just in time did he stop himself from blasting Sir Leon back out of the cave. The man looked horrible, one eye swollen shut and he almost seemed to be weaving on the spot. Yet Merlin knew precisely what caused the look of sheer horror to cross the man's face as he glanced towards the rock pile. Leon's sword dropped with a clatter and he quickly joined Merlin on the floor. The thick and sturdy leather on his gloves allowed him to get a much better grip on the rock than Merlin had been able to as he pulled some of the larger ones away.

"You're supposed to be dead." Leon stated bluntly, causing Merlin to blink in surprise. He barely noticed that his palms were almost shredded from where he had been trying to move some of the rocks, nor the fact that he was barely moving now, some sort of shock sinking into him whilst his mind tried to process that Leon was really here. After a moment or two, he realised what the knight had said.

"Eric." He growled, his magic almost snarling within him as he thought of Arianna. He knew it would be a long time before he stopped thinking about the way the collar had made him feel and what it would have done to him if it was actually placed around his neck.

"So it's true? He sold you?" There was almost a forced neutrality in Leon's voice, yet Merlin could see the anger sparking in his normally calm eyes.

Merlin tried to shrug it off, tried to make some flippant comment in response to Leon. He liked and trusted the knight, and considering he was here on his own, had a feeling that he knew more about what was going on than Merlin had initially thought. But his hands gave an odd tremble – he had been completely defenceless through his reluctance to put anyone in danger. When he had acted, he had got Arianna killed.

"Yes." He whispered, his fist clenching tightly as it balanced on his leg. Leon followed the movement and saw the gash.

"That was him." It was more of a statement than a question, but Merlin found himself nodding anyway. The wound was feeling warmer and warmer by the second, and he knew that he needed to treat it soon or he would risk infection, death if they didn't get back to Camelot. But right now, he couldn't think about that. They had to focus on Arthur, they had to get him out... It was only then that Merlin realised Leon had not once stopped digging whilst he had been speaking, Merlin was the one to have frozen.

"He told me you had been killed by bandits. But _something_ led us to the bandits." Merlin tried to hide his smile as he thought about the blazing arrow that his magic had left to make sure they got what they deserved for the way they had treated the slaves. But Leon wasn't done yet.

"I found your jacket. Covering the girl. I'm sorry, Merlin. I'm assuming you were with her when..."

"She saved my life. It was me that man was aiming for, I was the one who was supposed to be stabbed, not her..."

"If you had, then you wouldn't have been able to save Arthur." Merlin shook his head furiously. They didn't even know if Arthur was even alive under the rocks, meaning everything that had just happened could have all been for nothing. Arianna could have died for nothing, and that thought alone made Merlin practically snarl in anger. His anger leant him strength and he managed to tear away a bigger rock than he would have been able to. Luckily, Leon didn't question it despite the fact that Merlin knew it was something slightly more than his anger allowing him to do such things. His magic was just as angry as he was.

"Arthur..." Leon breathed, immediately doubling his efforts. Merlin glanced to the gap he had just revealed and almost started in surprise at finding that they were beginning to uncover the prince. Neither knight nor servant said anything as they both scrambled through the rocks, working together to lift some of the larger ones. It felt like a lifetime to Merlin as they struggled to dig Arthur out, yet it can't have been more than a few moments in reality. Finally, Leon lifted off the last rock, and Merlin dived forward.

"Wait." There was such a command in Leon's voice that Merlin found he was doing as he was told and froze. Arthur was unconscious, blood flowing from various wounds over his exposed torso and a cut on his head that made Merlin's heart flip. His left arm was bent awkwardly under him, yet the chains fastened around his wrists were more than obvious. They were still attached to a large piece of rock just to Arthur's side, making Merlin realise that, despite everything, Arthur was still chained up. Very slowly, Leon inched forward, using his teeth to tear off his gloves and rested one hand on the side of Arthur's neck.

"Come on, please, Sire..."

"Leon?"

"Sire? Arthur..."

"Is he.?" Leon bit his lip, not answering Merlin's question but instead searching harder for a pulse. Merlin heard him swear even as the warlock forced himself to look at Arthur's pale face.

"Come on, you prat, don't be such a selfish git and live! You're not dying on me now, Arthur, come on!" Quite what good he thought yelling at the unconscious prince would do, Merlin had no idea, but felt a rush of relief shoot through him as Leon suddenly smiled.

"I've got a pulse." Falling over backwards, Merlin sighed, closing his eyes and running his hand over them. He had no idea what he was thinking, his whole mind seemed to have gone blank as he reached out for Arthur again.

"His left arm is broken, I think..." Leon murmured, also moving closer. To Merlin's surprise, the man shifted his grip on his sword, holding it carefully before bringing the hilt smashing down on the manacle around Arthur's right wrist.

"No, wait! You'll hurt him!" Merlin yelled, moving forward. Leon held out his hand, stopping the servant.

"Trust me, Merlin, where he is, he can't feel it." Knowing that he had no choice but to trust that Leon knew what he was doing, or expose his magic, Merlin sat back, watching the knight work.

"Help me, would you?" Leon had freed Arthur's right wrist and was carefully rolling Arthur over. Merlin nodded and moved forward, holding the prince on his side as Leon very carefully moved Arthur's left arm. Arthur moaned and stirred slightly in Merlin's arms, but the warlock wasn't sure if he should be thankful that he didn't wake up. They had no pain relief, nothing that could make Arthur more uncomfortable. At least unconscious, he couldn't kick up a fuss. As soon as Arthur's arm was in a better position, Leon freed that hand from the manacle as well, both of the men wincing at the state of Arthur's arm.

"How..?" Merlin wanted to ask how he was, how they were going to move Arthur, how Leon found them... He wasn't sure what question was going to come out first, but Leon simply shot him a reassuring look. The knight stripped off his cloak, using his sword to shred it. Merlin could only watch as the man bound Arthur's arm the best he could, strapping it across the prince's bleeding chest in order to immobilise it. He then proceeded to rip apart the rest of the fabric, handing a section over for Merlin to do. Realising that he was trying to make bandages and grateful for something to take his mind off the sheer state of Arthur, Merlin obliged.

"There is something clenched in his right hand." Merlin suddenly muttered, realising the way Arthur's fist was clenched up tightly. Leon frowned, putting aside the cloak and wrapping his own fingers around Arthur's. His attempt to prise Arthur's hand open was just met with an even louder moan before and they could both see the way Arthur's eyes were rolling behind his closed lids. Letting go of his wrist, Leon let the back of his hand rest against Arthur's forehead. This time, Merlin didn't need to ask. His magic was already stirring warningly, trying to tell him that just because they might have stopped Nimueh didn't mean that Arthur was out of danger yet.

"We'll leave whatever it is there for now. I'm assuming that it must be a comfort to him if he is holding on that tightly and his subconscious is reacting to us trying to make him let go. One thing at a time."

Thinking about the witch, Merlin's head turned to where she was still sprawled on the other side of the cave where Merlin's magic had thrown her. Leon followed his gaze.

"Don't tell me, I don't want to know." Feeling a rush of gratitude towards the man, Merlin let his own hand rest against Arthur's forehead, wincing at the heat he could feel radiating from it.

"We have to get him out of here." The servant muttered, a note in his voice that made Leon nod. Awkwardly, the man stood up and offered Merlin his sword. The warlock could only blink at it.

"I can't carry it and him, I need you to watch our backs. And try not to drop it on your own foot." The last part was added on almost as an afterthought and Merlin grinned at Leon's attempt to lighten the situation. As carefully as he could, Leon swung Arthur over his shoulder.

"After you."

"I don't know the way," Merlin admitted softly. "I was unconscious when I got here."

"You, Merlin, have a story and a half to tell." Even in the dim light, Merlin could see by Leon's expression that he was going to have to think of something to tell the man. It was clear he had been with the slavers, and then for him to have beaten Leon here, with a leg wound, and find Arthur by himself. For now, Merlin was just grateful for the forewarning and took the offered sword, swaying slightly on the spot. Leon's eyes softened in compassion, and he slowly began to lead the way, Arthur over his shoulder and Merlin stumbling behind him.

"Wait, what about the witch?" Merlin didn't want to name her, didn't want to admit that he had some kind of connection with her as he was convinced that was going to lead to awkward questions. Leon sighed, clearly not having thought of that.

"We'll leave her for the rest of the knights for when they happen to stumble this way." Merlin stopped dead even as Leon disappeared out into the clearing, and it was only fear of having Arthur out of his sight that made him hurry after them. He had just fought a witch who had not only wanted him dead, but had tried to destroy his destiny and found that he barely even noticed. But somehow, knowing that Eric could be heading this way filled Merlin with a terror he wasn't sure he had ever truly experienced before.

"They're... they're coming here?" Blinking in the sunlight, Merlin tried to ignore the way his voice trembled slightly.

"When Bors stops being an idiot." Leon muttered, almost vehemently under his breath before he glanced at Merlin and saw how pale the boy had gone. "Don't worry, Merlin. I'm not going to let Eric anywhere near you." The fierceness in his voice made Merlin wonder quite how he had ended up with a swollen eye in the first place, and knew it wouldn't just be about protecting him that would make Leon fight back. This was personal.

"Merlin? Merlin, you still with me?" It was the concern in Leon's voice that made Merlin realise just how much he was shaking the fact that he had yet to answer. But right now, there was only one thing he could say.

"Let's go home?" He wasn't sure if it sounded as pleading to Leon as it did to his own ears, but the loyal knight nodded with a soft smile.

"Let's."


	15. Chapter 15

**Thank you once again for the lovely support, means the world.**

"Why are we stopping?" Merlin knew that his voice was coming out as something of a whine, the tone he was known for when hunting with Arthur. Yet he couldn't quite bring himself to care right now, instead staring at Leon's back as the man clearly looked around the area they had stopped in, judging whether this would be a good place to rest for a while.

They had walked for a good hour or so after leaving the cave if the sun was anything to go by. Merlin couldn't say that he truly noticed where they were going, instead just dutifully putting one foot in front of the other and following the man through the forest. He trusted Leon to keep Arthur safe, meaning that he was letting his defences down properly for the first time since he had left Camelot. As he did so though, a huge weariness had crushed into him, making it hard to keep on walking. By keeping his eyes locked on Arthur, Merlin had been able to force his legs to keep moving. The route the knight was taking them meant the ground sloped up away from the cave, and although Merlin was sure they were going the wrong way to return to Camelot, he didn't say anything.

Now that he was watching Leon gently lower the still unconscious Arthur to the floor, Merlin knew that the knight had been heading for this exact place the whole time. The caves were just about visible, meaning they were able to keep an eye on the entrance in case Nimueh was to make an appearance. Merlin didn't have the heart to tell Leon that if the witch wanted to find them, she was not simply going to walk out of the caves casually. Adamantly not looking away from Arthur in case he was to simply just vanish should he do so, Merlin let one hand drift behind him until he found a tree. Leaning his weight back on it, he sighed as he slipped down the trunk, finally ending with a groan as he hit the floor. His eyes still didn't move from the prince. After everything that had happened, everything both of them had been through before Leon had arrived, were they still too late? Would Arthur be able to pull through?

"That's why we are stopping. You are dead on your feet, and I can't carry you both. Besides, Arthur isn't the lightest of people to carry, I need to rest myself." Leon muttered, the slightest trace of amusement in his voice as he glanced over his shoulder to the slumped warlock. Merlin was too tired to think about what the man was implying, but instead made to push himself forward so that he could get closer to Arthur. Part of him was desperate for the prince to regain consciousness, to give them some sort of sign that he was fine, that everything was going to be okay. But the other part of him was terrified of what would happen when Arthur woke up, especially if Leon was still present. How much would he remember? Would he still think that Merlin was the enemy? Would he remember the secret that his servant had been hiding from him?

"Merlin?" The warlock blinked, startled to find that Leon was crouched in front of him, a concerned look on his face. The man looked almost as bad as Merlin felt with one eye swollen and a severe looking bruise beginning to emerge. If he had been more with it, Merlin might have tried to say something about it, to make sure that hte knight was alright. He was the servant, after all. Yet his body didn't seem to be listening to him properly, and voicing his concerns was not at the top of his priorities."Are you alright? You've gone very pale."

"I'm fine. Is Arthur..." Pushing off Leon's hand, Merlin tried to move forward. He would have succeeded if it wasn't for two things. One – his legs didn't want to seem to work and as soon as he put his weight on his injured one, it gave almost a shout of protest and threatened to buckle underneath him. And two – as soon as he saw what Merlin was attempting to do, Leon had simply grabbed onto his arm.

"He's fine. You, however, are not, sit down, Merlin."

"No, have to get to Arthur, I have to make sure..." The warlock didn't even know why he was so desperate to get to the prince. It wasn't as if Arthur was conscious, or was suddenly going to regain consciousness just because Merlin had managed to get a few feet closer. But he had spent days running on adrenaline and pain in order to find Arthur. Now that he had done so, it was as if his mind hadn't quite realised that he could stop worrying now, that there was someone else there to look after the prince.

"Merlin. Sit. Down." Leon gave a sharp tug and Merlin simply toppled over backwards. The knight swiftly put his hand on Merlin's shoulder to stop him rising again. "That was an order."

For his part, Merlin could only blink at him. He felt like he should be arguing back, protesting someway, but his body was refusing to let him do so. There were dark spots littering his vision as he tried to force his eyes to look at Leon properly, and every wound he had obtained so far seemed to suddenly scream at him. Biting his lip, Merlin stayed where he was as Leon moved back across to his pack. He could have sworn that he was watching the knight in slow motion as he checked on Arthur again (clearly not believing his own words as much as he would have liked Merlin to think) before hauling the whole pack back over to Merlin. It was as if the world was muted, he could see that Leon's lips were moving, but couldn't hear what was being said. He frowned at the man, making to ask him to repeat himself, but nothing seemed to come out. Merlin glanced one more time at Arthur before the darkness rushed up to meet him and he slumped where he was sitting.

MMM

It was the reassuring crackle of a fire that first greeted Merlin as he struggled his way back to consciousness. For a moment, he could feel alertness seeping into him, yet couldn't quite bring his body to move. He couldn't remember the last time that he had felt this comfortable and when he finally managed to crack his eyes open, he saw why. No longer was he propped up against the tree, but lying flat out on the ground, a thick blanket covering him and keeping him warm. Rolling his head to the side, he could see Arthur in a similar position on the other side of a small fire happily sparking away, Leon watching it carefully. The man seemed to sense Merlin's movement and looked over, smiling slightly as he did so.

"Welcome back." Merlin smiled weakly as he forced himself into a sitting position, letting out a gasp as he did so as his body protested the movement. Awkwardly dragging the blanket up over his shoulders, the warlock leant back on the tree once more, his head pounding. Glancing down at himself, he could see thick and sturdy bandages wrapped around both of his wrists and the wound on his leg. Judging by the way they were feeling, they had been properly cleaned before being dressed, for he was sure he could feel one of Gaius' soothing balms around his wrists as well.

"Thank you." He whispered, his voice coming out as nothing more than a harsh croak. Now that he had stopped, his body was letting him know that it wasn't happy about what he had been putting it through and was making those complaints known. Ironically, the wounds that had been troubling him this whole time were about the only thing that weren't hurting right now, having clearly been sorted out whilst he had been unconscious.

"Here." Leon moved over, his voice quiet and gentle as he bent down in front of the warlock and offered out a cup. Taking it, Merlin hated the way it actually took him a great deal of effort to be able to grasp it properly, but as soon as the cool water touched his lips, he was a fight to stop himself from gulping it all down.

"Slowly, Merlin, slowly." Leon chided, rolling his eyes. "I thought you had been with Gaius long enough to know not to gulp. You'll only make yourself ill." Doing as he was told for once, Merlin managed to pull the cup away just in time to calm his rolling stomach down and settled for taking a few sips.

"When was the last time you ate?" Merlin had to shrug at the question, not actually being sure. Not for a considerable amount of time, at any rate. He certainly hadn't had anything with the slavers, and then had been following Arthur's tracks ever since then. His silence seemed to answer Leon's question for him however.

"That's what I thought. No wonder you passed out." The knight muttered, moving back to the fire place. It was only then that Merlin noticed the small pot hanging over the flames, and his stomach gave a rumble even as he looked at it.

"What happened to your eye?" Determined to get the attention away from him, Merlin said the first thing that came into his head. He didn't need to ask to know that Leon would have taken care of Arthur's wounds the best that he could considering their limited supplies, and thought that it might be considered something of an insult if he mentioned it considering it would be implying that he didn't trust the man who had tried to save his life more than once recently. So instead, Merlin tried to turn the attention back onto Leon. The knight didn't answer for a long moment, not until he had filled a bowl and come back over, pushing it into the warlock's hands. Sniffing appreciatively, Merlin's stomach gave another grumble as he caught sight of the stew within.

"Slowly." Leon warned, handing him a spoon and sinking down to the ground himself. His eye looked considerably better than it had done earlier, the man clearly having treated it whilst Merlin was out. The servant couldn't help but wonder how long he had been unconscious for if Leon could look after all three of them and still be able to cook. Merlin began to eat slowly, acutely aware that the knight was watching his every moment and therefore controlled his urge to simply eat it as fast as he was possible. He knew he wouldn't be able to keep it down if he did that, but the only thing getting through to his brain was just how hungry he was.

"Sir Eric happened." Leon eventually muttered softly, and Merlin almost dropped the spoon. He couldn't explain it, but for some reason, that knight made him practical tremble. How could he go up against Nimueh and not really feel anything, yet a mere knight had him terrified. Deep down, Merlin knew. Against Nimueh, he could use magic, he could fight with everything that he had. Against Eric, he was either just a helpless servant that the man could do whatever he wanted to, or he used magic and took the risk that word would get back to Camelot and he would spend the rest of his days hunted. Even as the thought flickered across his mind, he found himself glancing towards Arthur. That could still happen yet, depending on how the prince acted when he woke.

"Merlin?" Blinking, the warlock started, realising by the way Leon was saying his name that this was not the first time that the man had called him. Forcing a weak smile onto his face, Merlin indicated that he was listening. He wasn't just trying to direct the conversation away from him – fully aware that he hadn't yet given Leon any answers regarding what had happened to him – but Merlin found that he was genuinely curious. If Leon and Eric had got into a fight, it had to be regarding the slavers. Meaning that, indirectly at least, it had been about him.

"Sorry, you were saying?"

"I think you already know what Eric and I fought about." Leon had clearly told the story already and Merlin had simply not heard it. Taking another mouthful of stew, the warlock didn't quite know what to say. Leon was a knight and he was nothing more than a servant, but he knew there was something unspoken between them. With a sigh, Merlin glanced over to where Arthur lay. He knew that it was the prince and their friendship with him that bound the two of them together. Leon followed his gaze.

"Thank you." He muttered softly, causing Merlin to glance towards him in surprise.

"I didn't do anything. In fact, I could have got him killed."

"But you didn't."

"We hope." Merlin couldn't stop himself from muttering the comment drily. He might have been able to find Arthur, yet the prince had been reasonably alright when Merlin had initially stumbled into that clearing, even if he was confused. Now that he was free, he was unconscious with a broken arm at the very least. In Merlin's mind, that didn't exactly make him think that he had helped Arthur.

"You didn't get him killed, Merlin." Merlin could feel a slight flush beginning to work its way up his neck. Leon sounded so certain, so sure that Merlin had been doing the right thing, Yet Arthur had been seeing Merlin as the enemy for most of the time. If the prince confessed to Merlin's magic when he awoke, then the servant knew full well that Leon would not be acting this civil towards him. In fact, he knew full well that it would be the other end of Leon's sword that would be directed at him this time, not the hilt.

"But you did find him. You came out here despite what had already happened to you. I saw your wrists, remember? I know that it must have been caused by a mixture of magic and chains. Yet you came out here after him, and even when his own knights turned on you, you still kept going, you still found him. That's more than I can say for some."

"I have to." Merlin muttered, looking down and putting the bowl on the floor. Absently, he picked at the bandages around his wrists until Leon stopped him with a sharp look. For once, Merlin did as he was told. The man had already bandaged them twice for him, it would be unfair to make him do it a third time just because he couldn't sit still. He didn't know what he was saying, but just felt like he needed to talk.

"I feel like I have to look out for him, keep him safe. I know I'm just his servant, and he is always moaning at how useless I am at that. But he's also my de-friend." Merlin swallowed, glancing at Leon with the hope that the man hadn't noticed his slip. Luckily, the man was staring at the unconscious prince, looking thoughtful.

"He needs a friend like you. I know that you will never get gratitude from the king, and Arthur isn't going to say it. So I will. Merlin, thank you. Thank you for looking out for him."

The young warlock felt a flush spreading over the back of his neck as he dipped his head to hide his small smile. Leon might not realise just how much "looking out" Merlin did for the prince, but that was the closest he was going to get to having someone thank him for what he did.

"So what do we do now?" Merlin eventually settled for asking, trying to hide a yawn as he did so. Judging by the look that Leon shot him, the knight was thinking the same as him. There wasn't a lot Merlin was actually capable of doing right now.

"I signalled the others whilst you were unconscious. Don't ask, it's to do with the smoke. But I got a response, they are on their way." Leon seemed to notice the way that Merlin subconsciously tensed at knowing that Eric was going to be on his way and let his hand rest on the warlock's shoulder momentarily, giving it a small squeeze. "I can't do this without them, Merlin. You and Arthur are both hurt. I'm not sure how severe Arthur's injuries are, but I know that I can't carry him the whole way back to Camelot and you are no good to me in the state you are in right now. We need help. One of them has ridden for Camelot, they have gone to get horses."

Merlin mutely nodded, both hearing and understanding what Leon was saying. Just because he didn't like the knights and they didn't like him didn't mean they were any less loyal to Arthur. Leon was right, they needed them. Neither servant nor knight really knew what to say now that they had both cleared what was on their mind, and a silence fell between them. Picking at the rest of the stew, no longer quite as hungry as he had been, Merlin continued to eat just to avoid the awkwardness. He couldn't help but note that it wasn't exactly an uncomfortable silence, it was just awkward.

Finally though, he couldn't even pretend to eat any more. Climbing stiffly to his feet, he smiled at Leon's look.

"I'll just get this cleaned up." Leon looked for a moment like he wanted to protest, but he clearly could see by the look on Merlin's face that he couldn't just sit here and do nothing. Hours he had spend finding Arthur, and the prince wasn't out of danger yet. But there was nothing Merlin could do to help and his frustration obviously showed.

"The river is that way, there is a small stream. Use the large boulder as your stopping point, you won't be able to slip there."

"Thanks." Picking up the rest of the bowls, Merlin went in the direction that Leon had just indicated. Normally, he might have been slightly affronted that the knight realised that he would most likely slip, but right now, he was just glad to be doing something. Simply sitting there waiting for the others to arrive was not his idea of fun. Leon had clearly looked after him this time around, but would the knight be allowed should something happen again? What if he passed out again when the others were there? Something told Merlin he was more likely to be left in the forest and eaten by something rather than the knights looking after him.

Grumbling under his breath about stupid codes of honour and knights thinking that his position was below them, Merlin moaned to himself as he washed the dishes. It didn't particularly make him feel any better, but he knew that if he didn't say it out loud, then the chances were that he would say it by accident when the rest of the knights arrived. Knowing his luck, he would say it right in front of Bors as well and the man would have him thrown in the stocks for a month when they got back.

But eventually, Merlin fell silent. The bowls were resting on the bank next to him, but the warlock made no move to return to their camp. Instead, he simply stared at his reflection. He looked nothing short of haunted in the rippling water, and found himself wondering what it was that Arthur had seen. Had he truly seen the potential Merlin had, the way he _could _be if his destiny wasn't making sure that he stayed on the path of good? Never mind destiny, Merlin knew his mother and Gaius would have his hide if they knew he was using his magic for anything other than helping. He wasn't sure whether he would ever be able to consciously use his magic to hurt anyone, but that wasn't what Arthur had seen. But at the same time, there was the smallest ray of hope taking hold of his soul. Arthur might have seen him as the enemy, even Merlin couldn't deny that. But he hadn't dismissed Nimueh's magic as being evil. Did that mean if he could get Arthur to trust him again, he would be able to persuade Arthur to break away from his father's way of thinking when it came to magic.

Sighing, Merlin let his hand drift to the side, intending to pick up the bowls. But before they reached the crockery, he froze, tilting his head to one side. There was something coming up behind him, a larger reflection looming over his in the water. For a moment, Merlin could only stare at the water, trying to work out who it was that was slowly being revealed as they came closer and closer. But it was with a start that Merlin recognised the figure, his heart beating hard in a mixture of anger and fear. With a yelp, Merlin fell backwards, recognising that it was Eric coming up behind him. He tried to move away, make some futile attempt to get back to Leon and the safety he knew the man offered. He didn't have the chance to do anything before a strong hand grasped the back of his shirt, jerking him to his feet.

"Well, well, well, look who I found. If it isn't the little escapee. I don't know how you got away from my friends, but let me tell you now, I will make you pay for it. If word gets back to either the prince or the king, you'll wish you had never been born, _boy._"

"Let me go." Merlin spat, trying to tear himself free of the hold as he did so. He should have known that he shouldn't have lingered out here, but gone straight back to Leon. He _knew _the rest of the knights had been on their way, yet time had simply got the better of him. There was something so peaceful about being out here on his own that he just hadn't wanted to return and face Arthur's motionless form. But he knew that Eric must have come after him up here for a reason and judging by the threats that had just spilled from his lips, that was it. He didn't want the others knowing, meaning that Leon hadn't had the chance to say anything either. Part of Merlin was hoping that the knight would take the chance now whilst Eric was up here, but somehow he doubted it. Arthur came first to these men. Leon probably wouldn't even think about Merlin whilst he filled the others in on what happened.

"No, I don't think I will. It's more fun when you are squirming like this. Pick up the bowls." Merlin stared. The man had a grip on the back of his collar, keeping him upright. How on earth was he supposed to bend down to get them? Eric gave him a small shake and Merlin found himself awkwardly trying to stretch down with one hand whilst keeping the fabric around his neck as loose as possible.

"Pick them up!" Hearing the anger in Eric's voice, Merlin cursed and bent down properly. Sure enough, he was soon choking on the fabric as it restricted his airways, but he managed to grab the bowls and swiftly straightened up. He made the point of keeping his breathing even and calm despite the fact that he wanted to gulp down a great lungful of air. He wouldn't let Eric have the satisfaction of knowing that he could get to the servant. If only the rest of the knights weren't a short way away... His magic was desperate to teach Eric a lesson, yet he knew it was just too dangerous. He hadn't realised how safe he had felt with Leon until he was now out here on his own.

"Very good." The knight mocked, yanking Merlin backwards and beginning to pull him back to the camp. "Now come, we have walked far and need a servant to wait on us."

His teeth gritted in anger, Merlin stumbled along as fast as he could considering his leg was smarting slightly and Eric's grip on his collar hadn't loosened in the slightest. Knowing that saying anything about it was more than likely just going to make Eric treat him worse, Merlin hurried along. Despite know that the rest of the knights weren't exactly his biggest fans, he knew that Eric and Jorah were the only ones that he truly needed to look out for. The others might make comments, but Merlin was more than convinced that they wouldn't actually do anything to physically harm him. Despite how much Merlin hated the system in Camelot, he technically belonged to Arthur. The knights would not disrespect their prince simply to go for his servant.

Thankfully, the spot he had stopped out wasn't at all far from the camp and the rest of the knights soon came into view. Merlin wasn't sure how long he would have been able to keep that pace going for if they had been further away, and yet wouldn't put it past Eric to have simply dragged him along to make his point.

"Look what I've got." Eric called loudly and smugly, wrenching Merlin forward as he did so. Caught off balance, the warlock crashed down onto his knees, face burning as one of the men laughed. Bors looked over, rolling his eyes with a bored expression when he caught sight of Arthur's manservant.

"Then give him something useful to do, we need to treat the prince." He snapped. Merlin scowled at the floor, not rising from where he was. What gave them the right to treat him like this just because he wasn't a knight.

"No." Leon's voice made his head jerk up in surprise and he could only watch as the knight pushed his way through the handful of men, coming to a stop next to the kneeling warlock. What came as even more of a surprise was when Leon's hand once more rested on his shoulder.

"Merlin is hurt, badly. He needs rest. He, unlike the rest of us, found Arthur and fought against the witch who did this. Anyone who lays a hand on him will answer to me, and when we get back to Camelot, the king."

"He's just a servant." Eric scoffed, and Merlin swallowed audibly as sparks seemed to fly between the two men. He wondered whether any of the others could feel the tension in the air, or whether it was just because he knew what was causing it. Glancing around, he could see that Jorah looked a little uncertain, and that there was an ugly bruise down the side of his face. When he saw Merlin looking, he hastily coughed and turned away. Merlin, however, found himself frowning at the bruise. It looked as if Leon was not the only one who had been on the wrong end of Eric lately.

"Then treat him as one. He is a servant, not a _slave_." There was a cold note in Leon's voice that Merlin had never heard before, and he suddenly realised that he didn't want to be on the wrong side of the man. Normally, Leon was pleasant and friendly, but when he sounded angry like this... Merlin was painfully aware that this man could kill as easily as Merlin could breathe should he so wish.

Eric almost took a step forward at Leon's words, but then seemed to realise that the whole camp were now watching, even those crowded around Arthur. He swore, spat at Leon's feet and strode of.

"Here." Taking the outstretched hand gratefully, Merlin allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. Leon didn't let go of his hand, however, but pulled him close. "Stay near to me. I meant what I said about keeping him away from you, but he'll look for any opening to get you on your own. I don't think he has slavers in mind this time. If he gets you alone, he'll kill you. Arthur needs you, don't give Eric the chance."

"I won't." Keeping his voice low, Merlin took in a deep breath to steel himself before pulling away. Automatically, he bent down to retrieve the bowls again.

"What are you doing?"

"I can't just stand here and do nothing, and that lot aren't going to let me anywhere near Arthur. I might as well keep them happy and do something servant like." Leon smiled, but it looked more like a grimace.

"I'll get some of them to go hunting, I don't want you out there alone."

Merlin could only watch as Leon did just that. He swiftly organised the group so that two disappeared off out into the forest to try and find some food whilst a few more gathered firewood. Merlin ended up simply by the fire, poking sticks into it in order to keep it burning without quite realising how he ended up with the easiest job. As another knight was dispatched to fetch water from the river, Merlin caught Leon's eye and grinned.

For the first time in what felt like a long time, he truly felt like someone was watching out for him.


	16. Chapter 16

**Thank you so much for the amazing support once again.**

Uther had to admit to the fact that he had barely left the throne room since Arthur had been taken. He knew that was where any message would automatically head for, and it meant that everyone else would simply have to come to him. Gaius and Morgana were constantly flitting in and out. The former was something of an annoyance, telling him to rest and eat, whereas the latter was a comfort. At least if Morgana kept coming in to irritate him with wanting to know why she couldn't go out after the prince, he knew that she was still in Camelot. Uther wouldn't have put it past his fiery ward to simply go anyway, regardless of the fact that he had forbidden it.

Gaius was in there once again when the doors burst open. Uther knew that the physician was just as much on edge as he was considering there had been no news about his own missing ward. But both men jumped –even if the King would never admit it – as the guards hastily pushed open the doors. A young knight stumbled in, exhaustion obvious in his face and his eyes, although he swiftly dropped to one knee when he realised that the king was already looking at him expectantly.

"Sir Tristan?"

"Your Majesty. We've found him." Not many people could say that they had ever been witness to a look of sheer relief crossing Uther Pendragon's face in the way that it did in that moment. The King sagged back in his throne, running a hand over his face in order to be able to compose himself. Whilst he had been constantly telling Morgana that the knights knew what they were doing, that they would be able to bring Arthur home, he wasn't sure whether he truly believed his own words. He knew what Nimueh was capable of, knew that she literally had the power of life and death in her hands and revenge in her heart. He knew that Arthur was a capable and strong warrior, yet he also knew that the boy had no experience in going up against magic. He would have been as vulnerable as he had been the day he first held his small wooden sword and pretended that he was a knight...Forcing his emotions back, Uther dropped his hand.

"What's the situation?"

"Sir Leon found him in the caves to the east of the forest. As far I'm aware, there has been no sign of the witch since Leon got him out. He is badly hurt, Sire, with a broken arm at the very least. He is also unconscious and, again as far as I am aware, has been for some time."

"Gaius?"

"I'll fetch my things immediately." Uther gave a tight smile, glad that Gaius knew what he wanted. By the sounds of it, Arthur was by no means safe even if he was free from Nimueh's clutches. Despite his words, the physician made no move to leave the room and Uther knew that he wanted to hear all that was being reported. Considering the old man was about to ride out to the scene and therefore needed to know what provisions he needed to take with him, Uther let the matter slide.

"There are a handful of knights with him now, My Lord." Sir Tristan continued, seeming to know that Uther would want a reasonably detailed account straight away as to how they had found Arthur and what had taken them so long.

"Only a handful?" Gaius couldn't help but query, knowing a lot more than that had set out for Camelot. Tristan nodded.

"Yes. Whilst we were searching for the prince, we came across some slavers." Uther ignored the way the knight seemed to stiffen slightly as he spoke, almost as if there was more to that story than he was letting on. But instead, he simply nodded distractedly. Normally, slavers were the one matter that he pursued intently, meaning that he knew the knights would have been aware that their king would have expected them to deal with the matter.

"The group split, Sire. Some remained behind to deal with that, whilst the more experienced trackers continued the search for the prince. It took another day or so, but we found him, Sire." Once again, Tristan shifted uncomfortably, almost as if there was something that he wasn't saying. Gaius frowned, reading the man's face and body language to try and work out what it was. He knew that Uther would let it go, his concern for Arthur overcoming anything else, but if the physician was expected to go that close to where Nimueh had been holding Arthur, he wanted to know all that had happened. It didn't take long to figure it out as Tristan began to blush slightly under Gaius' stare. Smiling slightly, the old man shook his head. Thinking back to how Tristan had commented that Leon had been the one to find Arthur, Gaius had a feeling that the knight hadn't even been with the rest of the group when it had happened. Tristan had no more stepped into those caves he had mentioned than Gaius had.

"Leave immediately, Gaius. I want Arthur home." Uther's voice was far softer than he was used to letting show when issuing orders, but Gaius simply nodded and strode swiftly from the room. Tristan bowed deeply and hurried after him, leaving Uther to blow out a long breath as he glanced towards the ceiling, thanking whatever was out there for keeping Arthur alive.

Outside of the throne room, Gaius paused as he looked at the young knight hurrying along by his side.

"I don't suppose you would have noticed considering you had to come back here rather than staying with the prince, but..."

"Yes. Merlin was with them, Gaius. How the hell the lad found the caves and got there before we did considering he had been stumbling around the forest for however long, I have no idea. But he is with the prince and the others right now. I think he is slightly hurt, but seems to be okay."

Almost mirroring Uther's relief, Gaius found his pace quickening. It was only because Tristan had said that Leon was there that stopped Gaius from worrying too much. He knew that the knight wouldn't let anything happen to the servant whilst Arthur was unconscious. Even so, the old man suddenly wanted to be out there far more than he would ever say. He knew full well how knights saw servants, and he also knew that Merlin didn't take kindly to being treated like that.

He had to get to that clearing before the powerful warlock did something that he would regret.

MMM

The next day seemed like the longest of Merlin's life. He wasn't sure whether he had ever felt so on edge as he did then, sitting in a clearing surrounded by knights. Every movement seemed to make him jump and he found that he was keeping as close to Leon as he could without drawing attention to himself. It wasn't only Eric that he was afraid of, even though he did find himself watching the man like a hawk and finding something to do on the other side of the campsite whenever the man came close. It was also Arthur.

Before, Merlin had been desperate for the prince to regain consciousness. But the longer that he was out cold for, the more the warlock worked himself up into a state of panic. What if Arthur did wake up, and immediately ordered for Merlin to be arrested. Or worse, executed here on this very spot. Whilst it was only Eric who was proving to be a direct threat to him, Merlin was fully aware that the rest of the knights held him in contempt for his close relationship to Arthur. If their prince should give the order, Merlin knew the men would almost be fighting over who would get the honour to kill him. Hell, maybe even Leon would do it, feeling the harsh sting of betrayal that the servant he had been trying so hard to protect had been lying to him this whole time.

So whilst all of the knights were doing everything they could to rouse their prince, Merlin found himself gnawing on his thumb anxiously, hoping that their efforts would be in vain. It wasn't that he wanted Arthur to stay like this. Living with Gaius for those few months meant he knew the dangers involved with Arthur being unconscious for this length of time, and with each hour that passed, it made it less likely that he was going to wake up at all. But Merlin just hoped that he would open his eyes when it was just the two of them, hopefully with lots of open space so that the warlock would run if he needed to. He just wanted a chance to explain, to swear that he would never use his magic to hurt Arthur.

But that, of course, all revolved around how much the prince remembered. Biting his lip in frustration, Merlin glanced around him. The knights were spread out across the whole clearing. Some were debating whether to venture down to the caves or not after Leon had told them what had happened, others were in various stages of hunting and preparing food. Eric was on the far side, talking to a man Merlin only recognised but didn't know his name. The knight almost seemed to sense Merlin's gaze on him and he looked over, sneering as he did so. Merlin immediately turned back to the fire that he was still crouched in front of, forcing his racing heart to calm down and his magic to settle.

That was another thing that was causing him issues. After the fight with Nimueh and the arrival of the knights, he had been on a constant edge. It was as if his magic recognised that he still wasn't safe yet, something that wasn't being helped by how jumbled Merlin's thoughts were. It was refusing to settle, and Merlin wasn't sure that he had ever felt this out of control in his entire life, even when he had been nothing more than a child not understanding what was happening to him. He knew that all it would take was for Eric to do one small thing, and his magic would explode out of him.

"You okay?" Hearing Leon's soft voice, Merlin still jumped violently, only to grin apologetically. He hated the fact that Leon would think that he was this terrified of Eric, but it was better that he thought that than realising quite what was going through the servant's head.

"Fine." Merlin muttered, trying to make his voice sound convincing. Even to him, it failed and Leon just gave him a steady look before sitting down next to him.

"How's your eye?" Merlin was determined to stop Leon thinking about him too much, worried that he was going to give something away. He wanted Gaius here more than ever. Not only would the physician be able to set his mind at ease in regards to Arthur, he would have also helped Merlin to control his magic.

"I've had worse. How is your leg?"

"I've had worse." Merlin shrugged, eyes glinting ever so slightly as he echoed the knight's words back at him. Leon smiled and leant over, ruffling his hair in a friendly gesture.

"So how are your wrists, they are worse aren't they?" Rolling his eyes at being caught out, Merlin dropped his gaze, staring down to where the heavy bandages could be seen peeking out the bottom of his sleeves.

"Okay." He muttered quietly. Leon seemed to pick something up in his voice and he frowned quizzically. For a moment, Merlin was going to dismiss his concern in a way that was becoming too familiar, growing used to having the attention firmly fixed elsewhere other than him. But there was something in Leon's look that seemed to imply that he wasn't going to let this go. Merlin glanced at him, looked back to the ground then looked up again.

"I hate this." He eventually admitted. "I hate having to just sit here and pretend that I don't know what is best for him simply because I didn't swear some stupid oath or wasn't born in the right family. How many of these men know that he normally sleeps on his left side so as he starts to stir, you're going to have to stop him rolling onto his broken arm? How many know that he doesn't actually like porridge unless it has berries in it."

"The ones that could only be found growing on Camelot's outer wall."

"Exactly, I mean...what?" Suddenly realising what Leon had said, Merlin looked up. The knight was smiling sympathetically down at him and Merlin could only blink. After a moment, he laughed sheepishly.

"I guess someone does know him well then." Leon shifted himself into a more comfortable position so that he could look at the servant steadily.

"I know how you are feeling, Merlin, I really do." Merlin doubted it, but he didn't interrupt. "But as soon as we get back to Camelot, you are almost going to be solely responsible for his care as his servant. You should take the chance to get some rest whilst you can, Arthur isn't an easy patient to deal with. If you don't believe me on that, just wait until Gaius gets here, he'll confirm my words."

"How can I get some rest?" Merlin responded bitterly, throwing a small twig into the fire as a way of venting some of his frustration. "With this lot throwing chores at me every few seconds?"

"Being kept busy can be a good thing." Leon muttered, his tone clearly trying to be placating. Merlin knew that he had to calm himself down, had to stop the bitterness from showing like this. He was tired, sore and scared, yet couldn't explain half of those things to the man who was trying to protect him. Yet at the end of the day, Leon was still a knight. There was only so much that he would take from Merlin before beginning to feel like the boy was crossing too many lines. Considering his magic would have quite liked to blow Eric into a thousand pieces, Merlin knew he was relying on Leon to keep Eric away from him. Not for his safety, but for Eric's.

"Not for me." He responded glumly. "I'm too used to being busy. I've learnt how to think whilst doing about six other things at once." Merlin sighed, then shook his head slightly and forced a smile on his face. He was supposed to be trying to get Leon to believe that he was truly okay, not making the man begin to push for an answer. Merlin knew that he couldn't tell the truth no matter how much he might want to, not until he knew for sure how Arthur was going to react when he woke up. For now, his magic would once again have to be kept a secret.

"I'm fine, honest. And thank you, for what you have done so far."

"I haven't done anything." Leon protested, stubbornly not meeting Merlin's eye even as he shifted uncomfortably.

"You made sure that Eric was in the hunting group." Merlin had to laugh as Leon blushed slightly before the knight climbed to his feet. It was obvious that Leon had hoped Merlin wouldn't notice how he was deliberately keeping the more threatening of the knights away from the servant. Not only had Merlin noticed, however, he also wanted to make sure that Leon knew quite how much he appreciated it. The knight was potentially causing himself trouble with men that he would have to trust in the heat of battle by coming to Merlin's defence like this, yet he also didn't seem to care. Arthur's disappearance had certainly made Merlin see the man in a new light, and he just hoped it was something they would be able to keep once they had returned to the normality of Camelot. It was far easier to forget about stations and birthrights out in a forest.

"I should check on Arthur." He mumbled before walking off, his neck a deep red. Merlin chuckled fondly as he watched him go. For someone that could be ferocious when it came to saving Arthur, Leon wasn't very good at accepting praise. Merlin knew that was what made him such a good man. He wasn't like the other men trying to do the right thing just so that it would get them noticed. Leon tried to do the right thing simply because it was the right thing to do, no other reason. After all, with Arthur completely unconscious, it wasn't as if Leon had anyone to impress right now.

"So should I." Merlin muttered under his breath, staring after Leon as the man walked up to the unconscious prince with Bors only so much as glancing at him before looking away again. When Merlin had tried that earlier, the head knight had forcibly shoved him back by a simple hand in the chest, sending him stumbling backwards much to Eric's amusement. But despite how much he wanted to check on Arthur, Merlin simply sighed and curled up next to the fire, his eyes reflecting the dancing flames. For once, the gold in his eyes had nothing to do with magic.

Merlin had meant what he had said to Leon about the rest of the knights giving him a whole pile of jobs to do, but for now, Merlin just glared at the pile of dirty dishes that were waiting for him on the edge of the clearing. His leg was beginning to smart slightly and his own mind was proving to be his worst enemy as it taunted him with potential ways that Arthur would react to his magic. Doing a mindless task such as scrubbing out the dishes would by no means distract him from his thoughts. Instead, Merlin intended to get some sleep, regardless of what everyone else was going to try and throw at him. Leon had been right, Merlin would be the one with the responsibility of looking after Arthur when they got back to Camelot. With his arms wrapped around his legs, Merlin found that he was watching the prince.

"Oi, servant. Some of us are hungry, _boy."_

Merlin jerked upright as if someone had kicked him, glaring across the fireplace to where Eric had come to sit down, stretched out with a smirk on his face. Out of the corner of his eye, Merlin could see Leon beginning to turn, ready to once again come to his defence. Not this time though. Just because he couldn't use his magic against these people didn't mean that he had to take what they were throwing at him. Climbing stiffly to his feet with all thoughts of sleep gone – he would never be able to rest knowing that Eric was this close and watching him – Merlin shot him a scathing look.

"I'm busy, get your own." He retorted, turning on his heel and walking off. Pausing to pick up the pile of dirty dishes, Merlin stalked away to the river. Everything had been intentional. His comeback had been loud enough that everyone in the clearing had stopped what they were doing to see what happened next. But that meant they had all seen him walk off to the river. Whilst they may not have been his biggest fans, Merlin knew they wouldn't let Eric simply come after him, not after Leon had stated his protection over the servant. Dropping to his knees by the shallow and gentle trickle of water, Merlin decided that he may as well get on and actually clean the dishes. After all, that was the slight draw back with the others having seen him leave, they knew what he was up too.

For a while, Merlin was able to forget about everything. He had thought that this was a meaningless task, but quickly found himself engrossed as he battled against the stubborn pieces of food that simply didn't want to come off. Normally, he would not have got this involved, but Leon had been right, he needed the distraction. It must have taken him the majority of the afternoon before he finally put the last pot on the ground, flexing out his aching fingers as he did so. Quickly wiping the excess water off on his top, Merlin stood up, stretching up in order to get the blood flowing properly again.

He wasn't quite ready to go back to the others though. Instead, Merlin found himself casually leaning against a tree, his arms carefully folded across his chest in order to avoid the burns on his wrists. Using the tree to take his weight, Merlin could feel himself relaxing, gazing into the calming trickle of water with unseeing eyes. They had got Arthur out, he was safe. One of the knights had returned to Camelot to deliver the news, meaning that Gaius was going to be on his way even as Merlin stood here and thought. Everything was going to be okay.

_Crack_.

Jumping a foot in the air, Merlin automatically put his hand against the tree to keep himself balanced, only to hiss in discomfort as once again, his wrists were jarred. Taking a moment to control his breathing, the warlock slowly turned around. He should have known. He had managed to last a few hours without Eric breathing down his neck, it was only a matter of time. Sure enough, the man was standing there with what looked like a horse whip in his hand. Merlin tried to hide his swallow, but found that his eyes automatically slipped behind Eric, wondering where Leon was.

"Oh he won't be able to save you this time." Eric snarled, taking a menacing step towards the warlock. His hand tensed around the whip once more, and Merlin knew that he had to do something. After all, this was the man who had sold him to slavers without blinking. He let his hand guide the way as he slipped around the tree. But the warlock wasn't hiding, but instead using the trunk as a way of masking the way his eyes suddenly flared gold. The hiss coming from the other side of the tree told him that his job was done. Re-emerging again, Merlin was hard pushed not to smirk as he saw Eric staring at his hand, the whip now on the floor.

His victory, however, was short lived. He had forgotten just how used to pain knights were and how they could simply move on. Merlin was only just thinking about whether he could make it back to Leon or not when a hand suddenly grabbed the front of his shirt. He had just enough time to gasp before his back was slammed roughly against the very same tree that he had just been hiding behind. Merlin winced, but even as he tried to draw his power to the surface –fed up of hiding- Eric's hand fisted in his hair and slammed his head back.

"You think you are so special, don't you? Let me tell you, boy, you are nothing." One of Eric's hands found Merlin's throat, and the warlock could only pant for breath as his other hand drew out a knife.

"You disrespected me earlier, servant. In front of the rest of the knights. Now that just cannot be allowed." Merlin felt his hand rise, trying to prise Eric's away from his throat as he attempted to draw a breath. It was already proving to be something of a challenge and he could see dark spots beginning to dance in front of his vision.

"But because you are the prince's manservant, I'll allow you your life. I'll just take your tongue instead."

"Eric, stop! What are you doing?!" Despite hating the way that Leon always seemed to be coming to his rescue, Merlin would have sighed in relief if he could breathe. He might not need his voice as such to work spells, but he did need to be able to think straight to work the magic. He didn't care if it made him look weak, he was thankful to see the knight, especially as Eric shoved his knife back in his belt.

"Stopping you from interfering." In one swift movement, Eric had turned, effectively knocked Leon out with just one blow and grabbed hold of Merlin once again. This time, he bent the servant's arm up behind his back and began to force him further up the stream, away from the others. Merlin struggled – both physically and trying to make objects trip Eric – yet nothing seemed to work. He was fully aware that he was being moved out of earshot of the rest of the camp, but it was already too late. Eric was forcing him to his knees, his knife once more back in his hand.

"I don't know why they feel like they should protect you when you are nothing but the dirt on my shoe." Eric grabbed a fistful of Merlin's hair, yanking his head back and exposing his throat. Merlin didn't even dare swallow when he felt the cold steel of the knife being rested along it. He knew that he had no choice. There was nowhere to hide now, and he knew that Leon's interruption meant Eric had gone from wanting revenge for backchat to actually wanting to kill him. There was no time to play it safe anymore, his magic was already rushing to his defence.

Before he could do anything, Eric gave him a fierce shove in the middle of his shoulder blades that caused Merlin to go sprawling across the floor. Immediately rolling over, the servant glared up at the knight standing over him, the knife being held with deadly intent. Yet Merlin didn't feel scared. Instead, one hand began to lift slightly even as he prepared to do magic. There was no way that he was about to let a bullying knight be the one to end his life when Merlin had a destiny. He could tell when the golden hue began to infiltrate his eyes for Eric suddenly paused, an unreadable expression on his face.

"You..." Merlin knew what the end of his sentence was going to be. Something involving him obviously pointing out the fact that Merlin could do magic, as if the warlock didn't know himself. Merlin simply glared up at him, his hand still at the ready. But Eric moved too fast, swooping down and once again grabbing the front of his shirt. Taking by surprise, Merlin gasped, his mind whirling at what he should do. He couldn't simply blast the man back now that he had hold of him.

Instead, Merlin felt the magic slipping away even as Eric brought the knife slashing down. But then it suddenly stopped, the man's face morphing into a look of pain and astonishment. The knife fell from his hand and he staggered back a step, glancing down. Merlin could only watch in slow motion, his mind going blank about anything that he could do to either get away or help, he wasn't yet sure which course of action he was supposed to be taking.

Just protruding out of Eric's chest was the unmistakeable tip of a sword. Merlin's astonishment was echoed on Eric's face before he collapsed in what seemed like comical slow motion. And there, standing right behind him was...

"Arthur!" Merlin made to take a step forward, but stopped when Arthur flinched back. He was weaving on the spot, his face pale and his broken arm strapped up over his chest. The fact that he was holding a sword in his good hand made Merlin frown, wondering what he had done with the item he had been clutching so desperately before. Already, the warlock could hear the sounds of the knights hurrying towards them and it made him wonder just how Arthur had got out here on his own.

But those thoughts were pushed aside as Arthur continued to back away from him, his eyes wild and scared.

"Stay back, sorcerer!" He hissed, clutching his arm to him yet holding the sword ready. Merlin could only stare, tears filling his eyes as he watched the vulnerable man in front of him.

"Arthur, it's me. It's Merlin. You can trust me, you know me."

"I can?"

"Sire!" The loud shouts made Merlin jump, yet Arthur looked as if he was close to full on panicking. Bors and Gareth crashed noisily into the area, both of them stopping dead when they saw Eric's body.

"He..."

In that split second, Merlin made a decision. He couldn't let Arthur tell the others about the fact that he had magic when he was like this, clearly not knowing what was truly going on. He would take whatever decision the prince made – providing he made it with a clear head. Whispering a word under his breath, Merlin was just thankful for Gareth's quick reactions as Arthur suddenly passed out, falling forward as he did so.

"Let's get him back to the others." Bors muttered, causing Gareth to now. Between them, they somehow managed to drag Arthur back down to where the camp was. As if in a daze, Merlin began to stumble forward, Jorah appearing at the same time as him where Leon was lying. The knight gave him a suspicious look before coaxing the slowly rousing man back into consciousness.

Time just seemed to swirl past Merlin as he stood there, watching Leon come around and be supported back to the camp. No one had thought to check whether he was okay or not, he was just left there with his thoughts racing.

Arthur had remembered about his magic.

Arthur was alive.

Arthur had saved his life.

Arthur had recoiled from him.

As the sun slowly began to set on the river, Merlin just stood there, the tears slowly spilled over from his eyes and began to trickle down his face. What did it all mean, what was Arthur truly thinking about him? And perhaps most importantly...

What on earth did he do now?


	17. Chapter 17

**Thank you so much once again for the support, it means the world.**

Merlin had no idea how long he stood on the outskirts of the clearing for. He was vaguely aware of the noise coming from the camp as Arthur's unconscious form, Eric's body and a stumbling Leon were brought back. If he was honest, he wasn't sure what had just happened. Why had Arthur chosen that moment to regain consciousness? Whilst Merlin knew the chances were that it was just coincidence, he couldn't help but wonder. He had just seemed to know where to go in order to find Arthur when he had been looking for the caves, and had assumed that it was his magic leading him to his destiny. But maybe Fate had played a bigger part than his magic? Maybe he had found Arthur because of what they were destined to do? Perhaps that was why Arthur had chosen that moment to wake up, because he knew that if Merlin was killed, destiny would be thrown off course?

In a way, Merlin knew that he was clutching at straws. He had to make himself belief that there was a higher reason as to why Arthur had come to his rescue, because that would mean that there was a hint of hope that Arthur didn't hate him. Merlin clung fiercely to the thought that Arthur had followed them out here and proceeded to save Merlin's life. He was also hoping that Arthur had recoiled, not because of the magic, but because he hadn't remembered who Merlin was.

Letting out a groan, the warlock leant against the tree, the rough bark rubbing against his forehead, yet he couldn't find it in himself to care. Either way, he was in trouble. If, by sheer luck, that Arthur was only afraid because he didn't remember everything, he had still remembered enough to call Merlin out on his magic. If the other knights had been within earshot, if Arthur had said it a little louder, the servant knew that he certainly would not be standing here contemplating what happened next. There wouldn't _be_ a next time.

"Merlin?" The warlock jumped, but looked around. To say that he was surprised to see Sir Bors heading towards him was an understatement, and Merlin almost automatically found that he was tensing, trying to work out what it was that the knight would want from him. There was no one else in sight…

"Relax." Merlin blinked. He didn't think that his panic had shown on his face, yet evidently he was wrong. He couldn't help it, everything was so jumbled in his head that he just didn't know what he was supposed to do.

"I won't hurt you…."

"I know." Forcing himself to calm down, Merlin straightened up and tried to fix a smile on his face, anything to stop the man from asking why he was so worked up.

"I wanted to check you were okay. We might not see eye to eye, and I don't think that I will ever approve of your friendship with the prince, so don't push me. But the knight's code states that a man must act with honour and protect those weaker than himself. For Eric to attack you like that, it goes against everything he stood for. He was under my command, meaning that it is up to me to make sure that you are well."

Merlin couldn't help but stare at him with wide eyes for a moment, fighting back a smile. Here he had been, working himself into a sheer and utter panic over what Arthur was going to do next, and yet Bors hadn't even noticed that. As he had known that he would always be able to protect himself, that his magic wouldn't have allowed Eric to kill him, Merlin had almost forgotten that was why he was out here in the first place. To the rest of the knights, that would have been reason enough for an ordinary servant to be terrified. They had no reason to think that Merlin was thinking about something else entirely.

"I'm fine." Merlin muttered, dragging a hand through his hair and taking a deep breath. Now that Bors knew he was upset about something (even if he had the wrong thing in mind), Merlin wasn't going to attempt to hide his emotions. "I just…I didn't know what to do."

"No one would expect you to know. Events shouldn't have unfolded like this."

"No, they shouldn't." Merlin knew that Bors was talking about Eric's attack, yet that wasn't what the servant had in mind. Still, it felt good in order to be able to voice his frustrations.

"How's Arthur?"

"Still unconscious." Never before had Merlin seen Bors looking so uncomfortable, and he realised that this man truly took his oath seriously and therefore didn't know how he was supposed to protect his prince. "I don't even know how he woke up, he was just gone. But I'm hopeful… he seems to be more at peace this time around."

Merlin was hard pushed not to smile. He knew that Arthur simply wasn't unconscious, but that it was Merlin's magic that had put him in such a state. The Dragon had claimed that his magic had been given to him in order to protect the prince, meaning that Merlin wasn't simply going to knock him out and not make sure that he was okay.

"Can I ask you something?" Feeling brave, Merlin met Bors' gaze head on as he waited for the man to answer. He respected the fact that Bors had openly admitted that he didn't like the servant, yet had put himself out to check that he was okay anyway. When the man nodded, Merlin sighed.

"Don't keep me away from him. I don't know why he came around then either, but he did save my life. He is my master, let me take care of him."

For a moment, Merlin thought that Bors was going to refuse, but eventually he nodded.

"I guess I don't have a good enough reason to keep you away. At least if you are with the prince, I can keep an eye on you." Merlin wasn't sure whether he should be offended by the man's words or not, but didn't have time to think of a response before Bors was walking away.

"Are you coming or not?" With a smile, Merlin hurried after him. If there was one thing that he certainly couldn't fault in the man, it was his dedication to looking after Arthur. Merlin knew that whilst they may not see eye-to-eye, Bors wouldn't let anything happen to him either. Unless, of course, Arthur started talking.

The warlock found that he was keeping close to the man as they walked back through the camp, feeling everyone's gaze turn on them. He should have known that his name would have been mentioned more than once when they had explained what had happened, but Merlin was just relieved to see that none of the stares looked angry. There was a small group off to one side, and Merlin could just about see out of the corner of his eye that they seemed to be digging. Curious, he turned his head in order to see better and realised that they were burying Eric. Merlin had to admit to being surprised, normally a knight was given a pyre. But it seemed that Bors wasn't the only one that was ashamed of how the knight had acted, and they had decided to punish his actions by not giving him the send off that he was worthy of as a Knight of Camelot. Trying to avoid making eye contact with the rest of the knights, Merlin looked away again. They had put Arthur back where he was before, having already got blankets and things ready for him. Merlin glanced at Bors, then ran the last part and dropped to his knees by Arthur's side.

Automatically, his hand moved forward and rested against Arthur's forehead, frowning when he felt the slight heat radiating out from the man. Considering the conditions that Nimueh had kept him in, he wasn't surprised to feel that Arthur was beginning to get a slight fever. Next, his hand moved down and he didn't really think about what he was doing as he slowly began unravelling on the wounds on Arthur's arm.

"What are you doing?" One of the knights barked, moving forward to clearly try and stop Merlin. Bors, however, held out his hand.

"Get me fresh water. I need some cold, some boiling." Merlin muttered, knowing without having to look that the knight would be staring at him in incredulity.

"Unless you want his wounds to get infected, get me water."

"Do it." The man only slunk away when Bors said it, but Merlin continued to unwrap Arthur's wounds. A few began to bleed almost immediately, but Merlin didn't let that concern him. Finding some clean cloths, he pressed them tightly over the deeper wound. Satisfied that Bors was far enough back, he began whispering under his breath. He may not know how to heal a wound –that was why his own leg had caused him problems – but he did know a thing or two about cleaning. The water would just be a precaution, a way of making the knights see him do something physical to clean the wounds rather than realising that magic had been involved.

The knight returned with the pot of water before long and Merlin forced himself to thank the man before dipping another strip of cloth into it and laying it across Arthur's brow. He only hoped that by making sure the wounds were all clean, it would stave off his fever until they could get him to Gaius. Merlin knew full well that it was his body's way of reaction to the shock of what had happened, but that didn't make it any easier for his servant to deal with.

Merlin worked steadily for a few hours. When he could risk it, he used magic to try and make Arthur more comfortable, but with the knights surrounding him – more and more coming to watch him work – he mainly had to rely on the traditional methods. He didn't dare touch Arthur's arm, not knowing how he was supposed to help a break. But as the afternoon drew on and dusk fell, a small amount of colour trickled back into Arthur's cheeks as Merlin tied off the last piece of cloth into a make shift bandage. They really need a physician, and fast. That had been the last of their supplies, and whilst he knew the wounds were clean for now, there was no telling how long they would stay like that. If one of them got infected, Merlin knew their problems were only just beginning.

"You should eat and sleep." A hand was suddenly on his shoulder and Merlin jumped to find Leon looking down at him with a kindly expression, holding out a bowl of stew. Merlin took it gratefully, almost inhaling the food. He hadn't realised that he was hungry until then, so busy on helping Arthur, but he certainly felt better with something in his stomach. He shook his head at the idea of sleeping though.

"I want to stay with him. I need to watch over him." If Leon was surprised by the sheer determination in the warlock's voice, he didn't say anything. In fact, a look that could almost resemble understanding sparkled in his eyes and he simply squeezed Merlin's shoulder once more before walking off. Darkness had fallen properly now, the only light been given off coming from the four or five fires that the knights had set up. One was for Arthur, making sure that Merlin would have everything he might need by keeping the flames dancing. A few were for comfort and warmth for the rest of the knights as they began unravelling sleeping rolls and such like, but Merlin knew the last few scattered around the edge was for those keeping watch. There wasn't just the usual dangers lurking the forest this night, but the idea that there was a witch out there coming for their prince. Needless to say, Merlin wasn't at all surprised by the tense atmosphere in the camp, or the way that every knight seemed to sleep with a weapon in his hand.

Apart from those keeping watch, Merlin was the only one awake. His mind was whirling too much as he looked down on Arthur's still form, wondering what was going through the blond's head. Merlin had seen how Nimueh had been treating the prince, and the fact that she had been slowly removing his memory was something that caused Merlin to shudder when he thought about it. He couldn't imagine what he must feel like to know that you were slowly losing everything that you had ever known.

Sighing, Merlin readjusted the cloth resting on Arthur's forehead, but as he did so, something made him stop. He was sure that he felt Arthur stir under his hand. The watchmen were too far away to have noticed anything, so Merlin bent over Arthur, sending a tendril of magic into the man to try and coax him back to consciousness. Sure enough, Arthur's face screwed up in a grimace and his eyes slowly opened.

For a moment, he just blinked up at his servant, and Merlin could have cried in relief. Arthur was looking at him in exactly the same way he did every morning when he didn't want to get out of bed and yet Merlin was telling him he had to. But then the moment passed, and Arthur's eyes widened in fear even as he gave a long moan. With a sinking hard, Merlin could see the fidgeting of Arthur's hands were coming reappearing again. It seemed that even being unconscious hadn't done enough to get the drug out of his system, and as Merlin watched, his good hand started moving across the floor, clearly searching for something. The servant frowned, remembering that the prince had had something clenched in his grasp beforehand and wondering where it had gone.

"Arthur?"

"Who are you?" Arthur whispered, his voice trembling violently as he stared up at Merlin with barely concealed terror. Merlin tried to put himself in Arthur's position, to wake up surrounded by people he didn't know with no idea how he got there, but found that it was hard to do so because the only image that he had swimming in his mind was the look on Arthur's face as he recoiled from him before.

"It's me, Arthur, it's Merlin. Your servant, your…friend."

"You have magic?" Merlin inwardly breathed a sigh of relief that Arthur's fear was making him keep quiet, but there wasn't the same hatred in his voice as before. Merlin wasn't even sure looking at Arthur now whether he remembered that he had just killed one of his own knights. Glancing around cautiously, Merlin tentatively nodded.

"I do. But I use it to help you, Arthur. Do you remember the woman from before?" He could see the way that Arthur was thinking hard for he was chewing on his bottom lip in his usual manner before slowly nodding, the fear in his eyes intensifying.

"She…helped me?"

"No, Sire. She has drugged you. She hurt you, kept you locked up and wouldn't let you have anything eat, remember?" Merlin knew that this was his only chance. He had to get Arthur on his side before anything else happened, he had to try and persuade the prince that Merlin's words were the truth, that the warlock was truly on his side. If he could get Arthur to believe that before he fell back asleep (Merlin refused to think that he could simply pass out again at any moment), then maybe they would have a chance.

"You… you were the one that locked me up."

"No, Arthur, that was a lie. I tried to get you out, remember?" It was killing Merlin seeing Arthur like this. The prince was a known warrior throughout the land, afraid of nothing and no one. Seeing him practically trembling from his _servant_ made Merlin aware of quite how much healing Arthur had to do. Arthur stared up at him for a long moment, before slowly shaking his head. Merlin sighed, his eyes falling shut as he tried to think of a way to get Arthur to believe him. Not only for the prince's sake, but for his own. He was surrounded by knights, he couldn't have Arthur shouting about his magic.

"It's okay, everything will be fine," Merlin mumbled, his hand going back to Arthur's forehead as he pretended to adjust the cloth across Arthur's brow. That, however, was just covering up what he was really doing. He was absolutely convinced that the watchman weren't paying him the slightest bit of attention by the way they hadn't noticed that their prince was awake, and Merlin had had enough of Nimueh winning. With his hand resting on Arthur's head, he took a deep breath. The gold flooded his irises and he heard Arthur take in a deep breath. Not letting the prince do anything, Merlin realised the magic, working its way into Arthur's mind.

He couldn't restore the memories, Arthur had to do that one on his own. But Merlin could show him the last few hours in the cave, how he had fought to get Arthur lose and free. He knew that the prince had been coming around to his side when they were there, now he just had to get him to remember that. He was convinced that if he could get Arthur to remember it just for a few hours, that would lodge itself in his mind. With not drinking any more of the drug, hopefully it wouldn't be removed again.

He kept at it steadily for a good few moments, determined to show Arthur everything that he knew had happened. But before he could completely finish, there was a yell from one of the watchmen.

"Someone's coming!"

Merlin snatched back his hand and glanced down at Arthur. The prince was frowning up at him, but rather than it being with the same fear as before, he looked puzzled, curious even.

"You can't say anything." Merlin whispered, his voice imploring. He could see Leon moving closer out of the corner of his eye and had to fight to hide his smile as Arthur tentatively nodded. The confused royal gave another grimace and his hand continued to search across the floor, but he kept quiet as even more of the knights approached them, clearly preparing to protect the prince.

"He's awake!" Leon exclaimed, and Arthur's eyes snapped onto his favourite knight, absolutely no recognition in them whatsoever. Merlin smiled gently down at him.

"It's okay, he's a friend."

"Merlin?" The warlock sighed, knowing that he couldn't keep the knight in the dark any longer.

"Nimueh drugged him. He barely even remembers who he is." Merlin had never heard Leon swear properly before, and found himself laughing as the knight let out a colourful string of words, pausing halfway through dropping to his knees beside Arthur. He clearly didn't know whether he should attempt to approach the prince or not. Bors had come closer as well, his face clouding over when he caught the end of Merlin's words.

"Here." He did drop down beside Arthur and pressed something into his hand. "He was holding it before, it seemed to comfort him."

Merlin, however, gasped. It was a small bottle, exactly the same as the one he had seen Arthur drink from before.

"Arthur, no! You can't have it, give it to me!" It was only the urgency in Merlin's voice and the fact that Arthur seemed to have some recollection of who the servant was that stopped Bors from reprimanding him. Arthur shook his head, clutching it tighter in his hand and glaring at Merlin with suspicion in his eyes. Wondering whether he was about to say something about his magic, Merlin backed off.

"Okay, okay, you can have it." He muttered, biting his lip. He had to stop Arthur from drinking the contents of that bottle, or they would simply be going backwards. But he knew that he couldn't take it off him again, so Merlin closed his eyes. Hiding the golden flash, he wrapped his magic around the bottle. Arthur wouldn't notice the difference, but neither would he be able to get the stopper out. Neither would anyone else for that matter. Arthur could hold it all he liked, but there was no way that Merlin was going to let him get into it.

"Halt, who goes there?!" Half of the knights were surrounding Arthur and the rest had flocked to where the watchman had shouted he could hear something. Merlin felt his heart pounding. He was almost sure that it wasn't Nimueh, she wouldn't simply walk up to the group when she had such strong magic at her disposal, she would simply take Arthur from their midst. But between Eric and the slavers, Merlin didn't trust anyone who was wondering the forest at this time of night.

"It's Tristan!" Immediately, there was a collective sigh of relief from the group, and Merlin knew that he was not the only one who had been worried about who it was. Leon sheathed his sword, crouching down next to Merlin in order to watch Arthur. It was as if the prince had no idea what was going on around him, instead staring intently at the bottle that was clutched in his fist. At least it stopped him from scratching if he had something to hold.

A gnarled hand landed on Merlin's shoulder, and the warlock jumped violently. Turning, his face split into a wide grin even as he stood up, and he couldn't help but throwing his arms around Gaius.

"Gaius!"

"Good to see you as well, my boy." The old physician murmured, and Merlin could see the way that his eyes were running over the wounds still obvious on his ward. Although Leon had treated them a few days ago, Merlin could just tell that Gaius wanted to look at them himself.

"Arthur needs you more than I do." Merlin muttered, stepping to one side in order to let Gaius see the prince. It always surprised him how quickly Gaius could kneel down when he had a patient to see to, yet complained constantly about having to walk up the stairs in order to wake Merlin up most mornings.

With well-practised hands, Gaius lifted the make-shift dressings, muttering to himself and nodding as he worked.

"You've done a good job, Merlin. I recognise this knot, you are the one that did it, aren't you?"

"I tried." Merlin muttered, shifting from foot to foot as he did so. He knew that Gaius had always been disappointed that he hadn't taken more of an interest in the old man's work.

"You've done well. Tristan, fetch me my bag would you, there's a good lad." Apart from the King, Gaius seemed to be the only one that could get away with treating the knights as just young men rather than the sworn protectors of Camelot. Merlin could only suppose it was because he had seen them at their worst. There was no point demanding respect from the man that had seen you cry for your mother. Tristan did as he was told and quickly dropped the bag at Gaius' feet before moving back, being welcomed by his fellow knights. Merlin and Leon stayed where they were as they watched Gaius splint Arthur's arm with expert precision, murmuring in a soft tone to Arthur as he did so.

Once that was done, however, he stood up.

"Merlin, come and assist me." He practically barked, gesturing his head towards the river. Merlin glanced at Arthur, uncertain.

"I'll stay with him." Leon promised gently, seeing the hesitation on Merlin's face even as Gaius began to walk away, obviously expecting Merlin to swallow him.

"But he doesn't…"

"Know who I am, I realise that. But right now, I don't think he is aware of anything. Go on, Merlin, Gaius might need you." There was something about the way that Leon had said the words that made Merlin frown. It was almost as if he knew that the physician just wanted Merlin away from the rest of the group, and realising that he had no grounds on which to argue, Merlin sped after his mentor. Gaius hadn't gone far, but as soon as he saw Merlin appear, he pointed at a log.

"Sit." Merlin had been through too much in order to try and fight against the physician, but just mutely did as he was told. Gaius spared his bandaged wrists a glance before unwrapping Merlin's leg, hissing in disapproval when he caught sight of the early signs of infection setting in. Merlin knew that Leon had cleaned it whilst he had been unconscious, but if he was honest, the warlock had paid it no attention since then. Clearly, he should have done. As Gaius set to work cleaning him up, Merlin found himself watching the old man closely, the emotions that he had been holding back all of this time threatening to overwhelm him.

"What happened to Arthur? He didn't react to me moving his arm, and with a break like that, that is not right." Gaius eventually asked softly, his eyes brimming with concern as he looked up at Merlin. The warlock sighed, and for the first time since they had escaped from the caves, he knew that he would be able to tell the whole story.

And so he did. Everything from escaping from the slavers to his magic leading him to Arthur. How Nimueh had used the prince as bait to lure Merlin in and then chained him up. How Merlin had realised that she was drugging Arthur, that it was beginning to wipe his mind. Everything he could think of came spilling out of his mouth, often in the wrong order until Merlin finally finished with Leon's arrival and Eric's final attack before Arthur had killed him. The old man listened in silence, only interrupting a few times in order to clarify a point, something that Merlin was more than grateful for. If he stopped, he wasn't sure he would be able to start talking again. Eventually, he finished and stared at the physician.

"Gaius, he knows. Arthur knows about my magic, he remembered that point." Merlin finally found the irony in the situation. He had always moaned that Arthur tried to make his life as awkward as possibly, and now he was realising how true that was. Of all the things that the prince remembered, it had to be the one fact that could get Merlin killed.

"And how did he take it?" Gaius seemed far too calm for Merlin's liking.

"I'm not sure. He was angry at me after he had killed Eric, the look on his face was pure hatred. But he just seemed to accept what I was telling him this time around."

"Then maybe everything will be fine?"

"I don't know." Merlin didn't understand why he wasn't more hopeful that Arthur was truly accepting him. It was everything that he had dreamt of, and yet didn't feel right.

"You still have another solution open to you, Merlin." When the young man looked at the physician quizzically, Gaius sighed. "I saw what was in his hand. It's that drug you were talking about, isn't it? You could make him forget again."

"No. No way. I'm not drugging him, Gaius. I'm telling him that I'm not like Nimueh. It will all just be a lie if I drug him after all of that."

"It's better he forgets until he is ready and you can stay by his side to protect him than he doesn't truly accept it now and turns on you." With those words, Gaius climbed swiftly to his feet having finished cleaning and bandaging Merlin's leg. His hand rested on the back of Merlin's head in a fatherly fashion.

"The choice is yours, my boy. I'll stand by you no matter what you decide. But right now, this old man needs some rest so we can think of getting Arthur back where he belongs."

He walked off, muttering something under his breath about frantic kings wearing a whole in the throne room floor with all of his pacing, and Merlin had to laugh. Gaius might have said that the choice was his, but the very fact that he could now talk it through with someone else meant that the burden could be shared slightly. Sighing, Merlin let the calming sounds of the forest at night reassure him before heading back to Arthur.

No matter what happened in the future, Merlin knew that he wasn't comfortable with having Arthur out of his sight right now. Not only for the prince's safety, but for Merlin's own. He had to stop Arthur from saying anything until he had made up his mind about what he was going to do about the situation.


	18. Chapter 18

**Thank you so much for all of the amazing support once again. Sorry for not getting back on reviews as much this time, I've been away this week. Don't think that there is actually going to be much more of this now. Hope you like this chapter.**

Afterwards, Merlin wasn't sure whether he could actually remember much of what happened next. After Gaius' arrival, everything had turned into a bit of a blur when he realised that someone else was there to look after Arthur rather than just him and Leon. He knew that the knights were more than loyal to the prince, but that didn't mean he trusted them to be able to look after him, not considering that Arthur didn't know who or where he was. Gaius took the situation into hand though, claiming that Arthur was fighting a fever and therefore it was best if he was kept asleep. The warlock wasn't sure whether he should be unnerved by how many of them volunteered to be the one to keep Arthur drugged, but the knowing smile on Gaius' face meant he had been expecting that reaction.

Merlin knew, however, that it wasn't for Arthur's benefit that he was being kept asleep. Gaius was giving him time to decide whether he wanted Arthur to remember that he had magic or not. With the prince not being able to say anything, he couldn't start throwing accusations around and therefore landing Merlin in trouble with no way out of it. But seeing him lying there, so weak and vulnerable, the bottle still clamped in his hand, Merlin didn't know what to do. He wanted to protect the prince, just like he was supposed to. But what protecting Arthur more, Merlin hiding in the shadows and potentially risking everything but not informing his master of the secret that he had been hiding this whole time? Or letting Arthur remember and risk him hating him forever for putting him in a position where he had to choose between Merlin and his father? But what if Arthur did choose Uther, what if he sentenced Merlin to death for trying to protect him?

Sighing, the warlock kneading his forehead with his knuckles from where he was sitting next to Arthur's still body, keeping an eye on him. He couldn't help but brush a stray lock of hair away from his eyes from where Arthur had been moving slightly, gazing down at the sleeping man as he did so.

"You always have to make my life awkward, don't you, you prat?" He muttered, no vindictiveness in his words despite his words. For the split second when the Great Dragon had mentioned that Merlin had a destiny, he had seen a future where he didn't have to hide. Then, of course, he had found out who that destiny was and realised that he would have to be more careful than ever. He had hoped that one day, despite the way that they bickered, Merlin would trust him enough to be able to tell Arthur. He certainly hadn't planned for it to happen like this, but knowing that the decision still ultimately rested in his hands was driving Merlin mad. He never thought that he would have to tell Arthur twice.

"You look like you need some rest." Leon's voice came from beside him, and Merlin finally dropped his hand from his head, grinning up at the man. The rest of the knights had been far more civil since Eric's death and Gaius' arrival and Merlin felt safe enough in order to sleep. The only problem was, there was simply so much going on in his mind that he couldn't rest.

"Later." He muttered, making sure that the blanket was covering Arthur and that he was warm enough. Leon saw what he was doing and smiled gently, seeming to know that Merlin had all of his attention fixed on the wounded prince rather than thinking about taking care of himself. Unfortunately, it meant that he looked like hell.

"Gaius wants to start heading back this afternoon. We won't be able to go far before nightfall, but at least we would have made a start."

"Is he going to keep him asleep for the travelling?" Merlin asked, wondering if the physician would have confided more of his plans to the young knight than he had his ward. Gaius knew how conflicted Merlin was right now, he clearly didn't want to add more of a burden onto him by talking about the state that Arthur was in.

"I think so. I told him about… about the fact that he couldn't remember who we were." Merlin glanced towards the fire, not admitting that he had already told Gaius that himself. He had a feeling that Leon needed to talk about it, that he needed to be able to voice how that was making him feel. Through his short time in Camelot, Merlin had seen the way that Leon looked out for Arthur. To have his prince not even know who he was had got to hurt.

"What did Gaius say?" This time, Merlin was genuinely curious. When they had spoken about Arthur's memory loss, it had been purely around the matter of Merlin's magic and what happened now. Gaius hadn't said anything about what he thought was truly going on in the prince's mind. In a way, Merlin was hurt. He had been trying to make the biggest decision of his life, and yet the one person that could help him do that had told a knight more about what was going on with Arthur than he had his own ward.

"He thinks that if we can wean him off the drug, get it out of his system and therefore stop his body craving it, his mind might begin to recover and he will begin to remember." Leon said softly, his own eyes drawn to the flames as he sighed. Merlin frowned as he took a better look at the knight. Leon might have said that he looked like he needed some best, but there could be no denying that he looked as if he needed to take his own advice. Then again, with still being so close to the caves -despite the fact that a few of the braver knights had ventured into them after ignoring Merlin's passionate plea for them to stay away, and found that they were empty – Merlin knew that no one was really sleeping well. Nimueh could be anywhere out here, and all the knights knew was that she was after the prince that they had sworn to protect. No one would rest easy until they were back in their own beds in Camelot with Arthur recovering.

"So he'll know everything that happened, as well as everything before that?" Merlin asked quietly, the roof of his mouth going dry. Had Gaius truly meant what he said about Merlin being able to give Arthur one more dose and that would set things back to normal for them? Or had he been trying to make Merlin feel better, for if they did get the drug out of Arthur's system and his memories returned, the decision would be made for him. Leon shook his head though, a sadness in his eyes as he glanced towards Arthur's sleeping form.

"He might remember up until when she first drugged him, but apparently no more than that. He won't know how he got out, killing Eric, nothing. The chances are, he'll remember being taken, then nothing until it is all out of his system." Merlin didn't know what to say. Why hadn't Gaius told him? Why hadn't he explained properly what the drug would do to Arthur, but instead made Merlin believe that he held the power over the prince's memories?

"You're right, I need to get some sleep." Merlin muttered abruptly. He stood up and moved away, knowing that now Leon was there, someone would be watching over Arthur. It took him no time at all in order to locate Gaius and with one jerk of his head, motioned for the old man to follow him out to the river. Gaius did so, but by the time he had got there, Merlin was running his hand through his hair in frustration.

"Why didn't you tell me what you told Leon? Why did you make me believe that what I decided would affect all of Arthur's memories? But if you are right, then he'll know nothing between his first dose and his last. It will be back to normal! Why didn't you tell me?" Despite the fact that Merlin knew he was getting angry – and considering how jumpy his magic was at the moment, that wasn't a good thing – Gaius didn't look the slightest bit perturbed.

"Because you weren't ready to know." He said calmly, sitting down on the same log as before and regarding Merlin with a steady gaze.

"What?!"

"Merlin, if you had known that administering that last potion to Arthur would simply extend his memory loss for a few hours, but other than that, there would be no consequences, would you have hesitated?"

"No! Gaius, this is my life potentially on the line here, and Arthur's as well if I can't be around to protect him. What's a few hours in comparison to that?"

"And there, my boy, is precisely my point." Gaius continued, leaving Merlin looking at him in astonishment. He simply had no idea what the old physician was trying to tell him, yet knew that he wasn't going to find out unless he swallowed his pride and asked. Eventually he did just that and Gaius smiled softly at him.

"Merlin, you need to think about your actions. By not telling you, you have spent hours thinking about what the right thing to do is, whether you should let Arthur know or not, what works out safer for you both, long term and short term. You've been muttering away to yourself over there for hours, watching him closely, trying to figure out the right thing to do. But now you know that there is an easier way, you are prepared to take it. Not just because it solves all your problems, but because I think you already knew, didn't you? You already knew that Arthur wasn't ready to handle the truth, yet you also weren't just prepared to take away that choice from him."

"But this takes his choice anyway, regardless of whether he can remember his life before Nimueh. He may only lose a few days, but shouldn't it be for him to decide?" Merlin eventually came and sat down next to Gaius, resting his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. He felt so conflicted, so lost. He simply didn't know what to do. Now that he knew he could stop Arthur from remembering without any other damage being caused, everything seemed so much clearer. He just wasn't sure whether he should.

"It does. But sometimes in life, we don't always have a choice about what we want to do. Nimueh was the one that took the choice from him when she took him out of Camelot, when she tried to bend him to her will. It is her fault, everything you have done, everything that you have been through has been to protect Arthur."

"And yet he could still just turn around and kill me."

"Not if you don't give him that choice. I'm keeping him asleep until we are back in Camelot, meaning that his body has not only the chance to heal physically, but we will be a few days further into ridding it of that horrid potion without him fighting us. You'll have another day, maybe two to make your choice before the last dosage won't have the same effect on him. You don't have to decide now, and if you have decided, I want you to have a night in your own bed to sleep on it before you act upon it."

Merlin nodded numbly as Gaius finished with a gentle pat on the shoulder. He thought that having a destiny would mean that he knew where he was going in life, what he was destined for. Right now, however, he felt more lost than ever before and had no idea what he was supposed to do about it. If they could keep Arthur quiet, if they could give Merlin that little bit more time to simply know for sure that what he was doing was right, then maybe there would be a chance?

"Go on, Merlin, catch a few hours sleep. I want to redress that leg before we start moving back anyway, and some of the knights are gathering the supplies we need in order to get Arthur home. We're not going to be able to leave for a few hours yet, you may as well get the rest you can."

Merlin nodded again, slowly standing up from the log and beginning to automatically make his way back towards Arthur and Leon. He wasn't even thinking about it. In his mind, that was where he had to be, where he had to sleep in order to make sure that nothing happened to Arthur whilst he wasn't by his side. He didn't see Gaius shake his head sorrowfully at his retreating back, wishing it would be as easy for the young warlock to heal from this ordeal as it would be for Arthur.

Leon looked up from where he was tending to Arthur as Merlin approached, frowning at him as Merlin threw himself down by the fire and stretched out.

"I thought you had gone to get some sleep?" Leon's quiet voice cut through Merlin's thoughts, making him jump even as he tried to navigate himself into a more comfortable position. No matter what happened next, Merlin would be more than glad for a night back in his own bed. It was one of the luxuries of Camelot that he had become used to over the last few months.

"I…had." Merlin said slowly, realising that coming back wasn't the best thing to do considering the way that he left. He shot Leon a rueful grin, and to his delight, the man just smiled back. He knew in that one look that there would be no awkward question from Leon, that the man had somehow come to his own conclusion. That fact made itself more than apparent when he next opened his mouth.

"He's not going to go anywhere if you shut your eyes for a few moments, you know." He said, clearly believing that Merlin had returned to the fire because he was so worried about Arthur. Merlin felt his grin widen and he shook his head slightly, but didn't say anything to the contrary. How could he when he was thinking exactly the same thing? Instead, he just stretched out, warming his feet by the fire and tugging over a new blanket.

"Gaius says that we have a couple of hours before leaving, you should sleep." He mumbled, trying to hold back a yawn. He had been up all night once again, not only watching over Arthur, but trying to work out the best thing to do. To say that he was exhausted was an understatement, he just hoped that it wasn't showing. Judging by the looks he had been getting earlier,

"I'll watch Arthur, you sleep." For a moment, Merlin was going to protest, but then he realised that he didn't know why. There was absolutely no reason for him not to rest, and he was exhausted. He smiled his thanks, hitched the blanket up further over him and finally shut his eyes.

The last thing he saw was Leon carefully rearranging the blanket that he had placed over Arthur earlier. With a small smile on his face, Merlin fell asleep.

MMM

It was not the throne room that Uther found himself pacing this time, but the courtyard. It had been four days since Gaius had set off, and whilst the king had received messages from him regarding their journey home and Arthur's condition, it was still feeling like too long. But now, Uther knew the wait was over. Jorah had ridden into Camelot barely an hour ago, claiming that the party was on the edge of the woods. Uther had barely even listened to his knight claiming that it was going to take them longer than normal to get back, but had instead immediately moved outside. It had come as no surprise when Morgana had almost materialised behind him, that maid of hers hovering behind her. She hadn't said anything, but he had seen that fiery look in her eyes that made him feel that she knew that Arthur was coming back.

They had been here ever since, neither saying a word to each other, barely even moving as they locked their gazes on the city gate. It felt like a lifetime to Uther. He knew that there would be threats to Arthur as he journeyed towards becoming king, especially given Uther's past actions. But the idea of losing him to Nimueh of all people, the one that had caused his very existence to even be possible somehow made it all the more unbearable.

"Listen." Morgana exclaimed, taking a step forward until she was level with him. Uther strained his ears for a moment before he too heard it – the unmistakeable sound of hooves. It wasn't just a few either, but the sound of numerous horses heading their way. Uther knew roughly how many men had stayed out there to look for Arthur after the others had dealt with the slavers, and had to admit that it sounded like them. Morgana took another step forward, but the worried father stayed where he was, hitching a more neutral expression onto his face. It would not do for the knights to see just how worried Uther had been now that Arthur was safely back at home.

His resolved was hard pushed when the first of the knights came into view. It was clear that they had formed a tight knit group around Arthur, protecting him from the stares as they rode through the lower town. Uther just assumed that it was because his son had ordered them to, that he didn't want the attention. But when they got into the courtyard, they began to fan out, leaving Uther with a clear view into the centre of the group.

The first person his eyes fell on was Arthur's manservant. The boy looked like he was almost swaying where he sat, and even from this distance, Uther could see that he looked ill. At the back of his mind, he could remember Nimueh hexing the boy, and finally realising that Merlin had been out there from the very beginning looking for his master made Uther feel a rush of respect that had not been present for a very long time. Making a mental note to make sure that the boy was allowed a day or so to recover before returning to his duties – award enough in Uther's mind – he then let his gaze roam on.

Gaius came next, looking just the way that he always did. Uther had seen Gaius through many traumatic experiences, and he was sure it was as if nothing ever rattled the man, he just got on with what it was that he did best and that was that. Not allowing his eyes to linger, Uther moved on. Leon was next, but it wasn't the knight that was drawing Uther's attention.

Instead, it was the figure in front of him. Arthur was clearly unconscious – the only reason that stopped Uther from fearing the worst was the contact Gaius had made since reaching the forest. One arm was bound tightly across his chest, his face was pale, and as the group drew closer, the king could see the cuts and wounds littered across his son's body. A snarl made its way onto Uther's face as he realised that this was all Nimueh's doing and his hands clenched into fists beside his sides. But then Morgana let out a soft gasp, and the king looked again.

This time, he was unable to stop himself from drawing forward. Arthur almost seemed to be stirring. Uther had spent years building walls around his heart, stopping from letting anyone get too close to him after the pain of Igraine's death, not even Arthur being able to get through to his father. But seeing the look of vulnerability, of almost sheer terror that shot across Arthur's expression as he began to stir caused all of those walls to suddenly come tumbling down again. His hands relaxed again and he strode swiftly down the steps even as the knights began to dismount.

He could only watch as Arthur's servant – what was his name again? Marvin? Merlin! – hurried forward, not seeming to notice that he was limping as he did so. One arm slid around Arthur's back and the other crossed over his chest as he gently navigated the prince out of the saddle. Leon jumped down and then immediately helped, the pair of them making it look like they had done that move more than once over the last few days. Merlin turned his head and clearly called something to Gaius, although Uther couldn't make out what was being said. The old man hurried forward though, slipping something out of his pocket as he did so.

"Stop! What are you giving him, man?" Uther demanded, finally reaching the horses and glancing down to where the knight and the servant were supporting Arthur. He was moaning, his head turning restlessly, and it was only then that Uther noticed the way that his hand was firmly clenched around something. In fact, the grip was so strong that Arthur's knuckles were white and there was the slightest outline of blood from where he was clearly digging his own nails into his palm. Gaius followed his gaze and sighed, swallowing hard.

"You know better than I do what Nimueh can do to a person. It is better that he sleeps for now, My Lord. I'll give him a few hours in his own bed, and wake him up when I have a strong painkiller ready for him. It's the only way that I know that he won't be in as much pain." Gaius had been slowly tipping the drug into Arthur's mouth as he spoke, his free hand rubbing at the prince's throat in order to encourage him to swallow and trusting the other two men to keep Arthur in the correct position to do so.

"Arthur!" Uther didn't even get the chance to respond before Morgana had hurried over. She immediately brushed past her guardian and moved straight up to Arthur's side, almost not noticing the wounds that he was showing. In an almost tender motion, she brushed his hair back from his forehead and let her finger trace a cut around his eye.

"This doesn't get you out of escorting me to the feast, you prat." She muttered, but there were tears lingering in her eyes and a softness in her expression that none were used to seeing.

"Gwen, go to the kitchens, get something simply sent to his chambers along with some watered down wine…"

"I don't think he…"

"Oh, that's for me. You, man, run up there and light a fire, make sure the room has been aired." Uther could only watch in astonishment as one of the knights jumped to do her bidding, not seeming to notice or mind that she was treating him like a common servant. As her maid cast a worried glance towards Merlin and received a soft smile in response before she hurried away, Morgana turned on her heel and marched back into the castle, her head held high.

"She's been worried." Uther muttered.

"I can tell." Merlin seemed to be fighting back a grin at Gaius' words, but when Leon started moving, he had no choice but to go as well.

Morgana seemed to have cleared the corridors of anyone that might be hanging about in order to get a look at the injured prince, and it didn't take long at all for them to be able to escort Arthur into his chambers. Merlin left Gaius to fuss around getting the prince on the bed, not at all being comfortable with being this close to Arthur in front of the king until he knew for sure that the next sleeping potion had taken the blond deep into the realm of dreams. Instead, he shot the knight an almost disgusted look and set about making the fire properly. The man had taken Morgana's words to heart, both trying to warm the room and air it at the same time. Merlin realised in that moment how used to being a servant he had become, for he didn't really think about what he was doing as he began to set the room exactly as Arthur liked it. After a moment or two, however, he found that he had to stop, clutching onto the table as a wave of weariness overcame him.

He glanced over at the bed, trying to get Gaius' attention that he didn't feel too good, but everyone was too busy fussing over Arthur. Merlin felt his knees begin to buckle and he struggled to stay standing, not wanting to simply collapse in a room full of the king and knights of Camelot when their own prince was in no fit shape. Biting the inside of his cheek, merlin thought that he had managed it before he tried to straighten up again and realised that there was a familiar ringing in his ears.

"Gaius." Merlin attempted to call, knowing that he was about to black out, but it came as nothing more than a croak. He let his hand rest against his leg and winced when he felt the heat coming out of it. The warlock knew that he needed to rest, he had spent the whole journey back only snatching moments of sleep here and there when he felt he could leave Arthur without the prince waking up and saying something. Taking a shaky step forward, he couldn't help but groan as he realised that he wouldn't get there.

But then, there was suddenly an arm looped around his chest, forcing him into an upright position and holding him there with a steely strength. His knees completely went at the same moment, meaning Merlin was literally being supported by whoever this mystery figure was.

"Leon, will you escort the boy to his chambers?" Merlin completely and utterly froze as he realised that it was Uther holding him up. The grip might have been firm, but it was also strangely reassuring, not tight or painful as he would have imagined it to be. Gaius glanced over at the command and his eyes widened in astonishment at the sight in front of him. If Merlin was more alert, he might have found the look on the old man's face funny, but as it was, he was having trouble even seeing Gaius straight. He was vaguely aware of someone coming over, but it was only because of Uther's words did he realise that it must be Leon, for his vision was dimming rather alarmingly.

There was a hand on his chest, holding him up as Uther's arm vanished, and immediately, Leon took hold of one of Merlin's own arms, being mindful to avoid the healing wounds on his wrist. He pulled Merlin's arm up over his shoulder in order to take some of his weight.

"It's alright, Merlin, you did it. You got him home." Leon muttered gently, beginning to steer the warlock towards the door. Unfortunately, those words caused Merlin to let down all of his defences, and Leon was forced to grab him as his legs gave way completely, buckling under him. He would have hit the floor if it wasn't for the knight, but as it was, Merlin was barely aware of being hoisted into a more secure position and carried from the room as he blacked out completely.

Arthur was safe.


	19. Chapter 19

**Thank you so much for the amazing reviews once again. Only one more chapter to go after this one!**

His body shivering almost uncontrollably was what brought Merlin back to consciousness. He could feel that he was lying flat on something, and an experimental wriggle caused him to have an idea of what. Very slowly, he peeled open his eyes, and sure enough, was staring at his own ceiling. Breathing in deeply, Merlin shifted again, his body seeking out the warmth the blanket over him was offering whilst his head tried to turn away from the cool cloth he could feel resting over his forehead.

"Gaius? Gaius, I think he is awake. Merlin? Merlin, are you awake?" That was Gwen's voice, Merlin was sure of it. Yet he couldn't help but groan as it sent a piercing wave of pain through his head, causing his eyes to scrunch closed again. He tried to turn away without it being obvious what he was doing, but he could already feel Gwen's gentle hand readjusting the cloth over his forehead. Didn't she know that he was cold, that he didn't want it there? He tried to protest, and almost blushed at the long moan that forced its way from his throat. But he was more worried about the burning pain making a noise had created, and before he knew what he was doing, he was coughing.

"Shh, shh, drink this…" There was something pressing against his lips and Merlin obliged, swallowing down whatever it was he was being offered without thinking about it. The effects were almost immediate, the pounding in his head easing back to a dull throb and his throat stopped feeling like it was on fire. He could feel a hand removing the cloth on his head and he sighed in relief, burying down into the covers a little more as he did so. Eventually, Merlin managed to open his eyes again, and found himself looking into Gaius' concerned face. As soon as the physician realised that the warlock was looking back at him, he moved back, relief in his eyes.

"You've had us quite worried, my boy." He said softly, the expression on his face making Merlin realise that he was certainly being sincere about what he was saying. Coughing ever so slightly again, Merlin forced his aching body into an upright position. A rush of alarm shot through him as he realised that even doing that left him feeling shaky and lightheaded, every part of his body feeling like it was sapped of strength apart from the fierce burning sensation he could feel in his leg. His hand automatically moved to the wound, but Gaius made a move to stop him.

"Don't. You don't want it more infected than it already is."

"Infected?" Merlin managed to rasp, his voice hoarse and rough. "How long?"

"You've only been out for the day. Thanks to Sir Leon cleaning it before and then my arrival, you've had a fighting chance. But the infection had already taken hold before Leon reached you, and the knowledge that you were home safe was enough for your body to let down its defences."

"Arthur?" If he was honest, Merlin didn't really care what was happening to him. He knew how good Gaius was at his job and knew the fact that he was awake again meant that he was going to be okay. He knew that they had got Arthur home, he was sure that he could picture them all being in the prince's room, that they had been trying to get him settled. But then everything was a little hazy. Frowning, Merlin realised that he must have blacked out to have suddenly lost a day. Yet he needed to know what was going on with Arthur. Not necessarily physically, he knew that none of Arthur's injuries were life threatening. He needed to know whether the prince had said anything.

"Gwen, could you fetch me some fresh water and some willow bark?"

"Yes. Yes, of course." Merlin managed to turn his head in order to smile weakly as Gwen as she picked up the folds of her skirt and climbed to her feet from where she had been sitting next to his bed. Why did he get the feeling that she had been there for the whole time that he had been unconscious for? Whilst part of him felt a little bad that she was being sent out the moment he came to again, he knew why Gaius had asked her to leave. His mentor could clearly see what Merlin was truly asking when he asked after Arthur. As soon as the door shut behind Gwen, Merlin forced himself to sit up a little straighter.

"Gaius. What's going on?" He said quietly, his tone indicating that he was not going to let this drop until the physician had told him everything that he wanted to know. Gaius sighed, but shuffled closer, glancing towards the door as he did so.

"Physically, he is healing well. The break has been set, and all of the cuts and bruises are healing as well to be expected. He's been awake for several hours now, he woke up just after you collapsed." Merlin shifted slightly, realising that it must have partly been his collapse that drew Arthur from his slumber. It had been Gaius' potions keeping him under, but Merlin could feel that his magic had still been active in protecting itself – it had been making sure that Arthur stayed quiet. As he passed out, his magic would have lost focus.

"Gaius…"

"I'm assuming that is not what you meant though?" The physician pressed in, ignoring Merlin's interruption. The warlock tentatively nodded, wincing as it caused his head to throb again. Gaius sighed, suddenly looking far older than Merlin had ever seen him.

"He looks haunted. His eyes are hollow and emotionless, something that I have never seen on Arthur before. No, before you say anything, he hasn't said anything. He doesn't seem to know what to do. He remembers that you have magic, he said something to me, luckily no one else was in earshot. Yet he also seems to recall that you are a friend. He was in here this morning. He wouldn't move past your door, but he just stood there, watching you. You need to talk to him, Merlin, you need to figure out what to do."

Merlin shifted, sighing as he did so. Why did it feel like everything was always up to him to decide what was the best course of action, especially when it came to Arthur? He had only been in the prince's life for a few months, and yet people who had been looking after him for years were now basing their decisions on what Merlin said. In a way, he hated it, what if he made the wrong choice? But in this case, his answer was already decided upon. Arthur knew that he had magic, but yet had managed to remember that Merlin was the one helping him rather than Nimueh and had even come to see him. He may not have come in, but Merlin knew his master well enough to know the fact that Arthur had come this far was a sign enough. The servant had been defenceless whilst he had been unconscious, and yet Arthur had done nothing. Merlin knew that didn't necessarily mean that he was in the clear, but it did mean that Arthur was at least giving him a chance to explain. Merlin could ask for no more.

"Merlin?" Once again, there must have been something showing in Merlin's face that he had reached his conclusion for Gaius suddenly sat forward, his frowning deepening as he did so. "What is it?"

"He knows." Merlin muttered, letting more of the pillows take his weight as he let the reality wash over him. "He knows about my magic."

"I know. And you have the choice whether you feel like he is ready or not." Merlin, however, shook his head, locking eyes with his guardian.

"He has taken that choice from me." Seeing that the physician was going to interrupt, Merlin pressed on. "You said yourself that he was here, yet he didn't do anything. Why wait until I had woken up and was better unless he was going to give me the chance to explain? Yes, he might have flinched away the first time he remembered what it was that I could do, but he remembered the second time as well, Gaius. He knew precisely who, or rather, _what_, I was, yet he focused on the fact that I was a friend as well. He knows that magic isn't allowed, but I…"

Merlin broke off, taking a deep breath. He had been mulling the thought over for a while now. It wasn't a spur of the moment thought, but something that he had picked up from watching Arthur for the last few months.

"But what?" Gaius pressed, clearly not following.

"I'm not sure he thinks it is evil, not in the same way as Uther. He knows that it is a crime because that is what the king has told him and ordered him to deal with. But I don't think that he shares the same views. It's something forbidden, not necessarily something bad."

"Merlin, how does that help? You are still making him chose between you and his father."

"I know." Merlin muttered, running a hand through his hair. He _knew_ what Gaius was saying, knew why the physician wanted him to do something so that Arthur didn't have to have his loyalties divided. But at the same time, he didn't see why it was up to him to make that decision. It was down to Arthur what he wanted to do now, and Merlin was not going to take his choice away in the same way that Nimueh had. He knew that he wouldn't really have to do anything, just relax the magic holding the stopper in the bottle, but in his mind, it was still using his magic in the wrong way.

"You don't have much time left…"

"Gaius, I know! He may be my destiny, but that doesn't mean I'm his minder!" Merlin didn't mean to yell, and immediately regretted it as his head gave another pound and his voice almost gave out completely at the volume he had just spoken at. His leg was itching and burning slightly, and whilst he knew that he was on the mend, it did seem like he had managed to get a bad infection there. He was tired, slightly emotional over everything that had just happened and felt as if he once again had the future of Camelot resting on his shoulders. Arthur would barely even admit that they were friends, why should Merlin be the one that has to sort everything out? He had already done more than the knights had in regards to saving Arthur, why couldn't someone take over now.

"I'm sorry, I…"

"Get some rest, Merlin, there is still time." Gaius said softly, resting his hand on Merlin's shoulder. For a man his age, it was surprising the amount of pressure he could apply until Merlin was once again lying down. "I'll get you something for the pain…"

"I'm fine, nothing hurts." Merlin mumbled, taking the chance to bury his head under the blankets. He didn't say anything else, but he could hear Gaius sigh heavily. There was a silence for a few moments longer, but then Merlin heard the old man sigh, move across the room and leave the warlock's room, heading down the stairs to the main part of his chambers.

It was only when he heard his bedroom door shut did Merlin throw back the blanket again and force himself out of bed. His legs threaten to buckle underneath him, but through sheer determination, he managed to stumble across to the window. Climbing up on the small box underneath, he lifted the latch and peered out. It was mid-afternoon if the sun's positioning was anything to go back, and Merlin let the rays warm him as he exhaled heavily, leaning out and breathing deeply. Everything had been so clear when all that counted was finding and saving Arthur. Now that had been done, it was as if a new set of problems had just made themselves apparent.

He knew that Gaius was right, that he should get some more rest before deciding completely what to do. He knew why it was important to make sure that Arthur was ready to know or not about his magic, that it could ruin everything that they were destined for if the prince were to turn against his warlock in a month or so, when the pressure of keeping the secret began to take its toll. But Merlin so wanted Arthur to be ready, wanted there to be hope that Avalon could come about sooner rather than later. More than anything, he wanted a friend that he wouldn't have to hide with, that he could have bad days and say whatever came into his head rather than feeling like he was constantly guarding against what was coming out of his mouth.

Huffing in annoyance at both the quandary that his mind was going through and the way that his body seemed to be protesting at standing up for this length of time, Merlin turned away from the window. Almost involuntarily, his eyes fell back on his bed and Merlin hobbled across. He was never good at thinking straight when he was tired, so it was with a groan that he allowed himself to flop back down on the bed face first. His arms automatically slid under the pillow and he buried his face in it. Breathing in deeply, the warlock allowed himself to escape to the sanctuary of sleep once again, hoping that everything would be clearer when he awoke.

But just outside of Gaius' doors, another figure stood motionlessly. Why he had turned and walked away the second he had heard Gaius leaving Merlin's room, Arthur had no idea. But he had been standing just outside, he had overheard everything. Despite not yet knowing what he was supposed to do considering he still wasn't sure how he had ended up with a broken arm in the first place, Arthur did know one thing. Merlin was clearly trying to work out what was best for the prince rather than what would make his own life easier, and Arthur found that caused a rush of respect stronger than anything that he had felt for a while to go shooting through him. His earlier memories were just beginning to return, and he distinctly recalled his father telling him that sorcerers only thought about themselves. Yet Merlin clearly wasn't.

Slowly walking away from the physician's quarters, Arthur just let his feet carry him, thinking hard. If Merlin could risk absolutely everything in order to make sure that Arthur had the choice in what he wanted to happen, did that not mean that the prince should do the same thing. His memories might have been hazy, not quite everything back in place yet. But he did have the strong feeling that the warlock was the first true friend that he had who had treated Arthur as the man rather than the prince. Maybe Arthur should take that decision out of his hands? If _he_ made himself forget, would that mean that everything would go back to normal? Maybe he wouldn't know about the magic, but surely Merlin would one day pluck up the courage to tell him himself and everything would be fine? If he could take it now, then what else could magic do to him that would turn him properly against it? Merlin had been right, he didn't share his father's views, he just knew that it was something not allowed rather than evil.

If Arthur made himself forget, then Merlin's only choice would be whether he told the prince again or not. And if he truly was a friend, surely he wouldn't lie? His mind made up, Arthur slowly began walking back to his chambers, completely forgetting why he had gone to see Gaius in the first place.

MMM

When Merlin next woke up, someone had clearly come into the room and lit the candles scattered around the place. The flickering flames not only illuminated the shadows that were dancing around, but made Merlin realise that it was early evening even before he properly opened his eyes. He hadn't been sleeping for that long, but felt significantly better than he had done earlier on. He felt like he could think clearly again, and because of that knew that he had to let Arthur remember. It wasn't his choice whether the prince retained his memories or not, and Merlin flatly refused to do anything that Nimueh had done. He would not drug Arthur, not matter what the consequences to himself might be.

It took far longer than he was used to in order for him to make himself presentable and stumble from his room. The candles were lit and the fire was burning, yet Gaius was nowhere to be seen. There was a bowl of soup set in Merlin's normal place, and the warlock gingerly lowered himself down, only now realising that he was starving. It didn't take him long to eat, but it was time enough to realise that Gaius must be out on his evening rounds. In a way, Merlin couldn't help be glad as he set his bowl to the side and slowed moved across to the door, hating how stiff his movements were. If Arthur were to react badly, Merlin wasn't sure he had the mobility to run if that was what it came to. But right now, he was just glad that Gaius wasn't there to put pressure on him. He knew why his guardian was worried in regards to Arthur knowing, but Merlin had decided.

He stuck with that decision even as he made his slow and painful way towards Arthur's chambers. He kept telling himself that it would all work out and be for the best, but he wasn't sure if he even believed that himself. He just had to hope that Arthur could remember the positive things that Merlin had done when his servant entered his chambers rather than only remembering the fact that he had magic. Even so, Merlin found that he was practically shaking as he tentatively knocked on Arthur's door. He knew that it wasn't something that he usually did, but figured that he may as well start the conversation off on the correct footing rather than bursting in like he usually did. He could tell by the way the prince bid him to enter that Arthur didn't realise who it was that was about to walk through the door.

Over his few months in Camelot, Merlin had made a bit of a name for himself by the way that he could burst spectacularly into any room, no matter who the inhabitants. But this time, he slipped almost silently into Arthur's chambers, making himself seem as small and insignificant as he could manage. Yet the pretence didn't last long as he simply gasped as he stared around him.

It looked like the whole place had been ransacked. Belongings were strewn everywhere and one of the chairs had been pushed over. If it wasn't for the fact that he could make out Arthur's shape over to one side, Merlin might have thought to sound the alarm. But instead, he just moved a little further in, letting the door shut behind him. Whatever it was that was happening within, he had a feeling that they wouldn't want everyone in the corridor being able to hear. Arthur didn't immediately turn, but Merlin could hear him swearing quietly as he struggled with something one handed, eventually ramming his shoulder into his changing screen and toppling it over with a grunt of frustration.

"Arthur?" Merlin said softly, feeling his heart pounding hard as Arthur turned to face him. Even with half healed cuts across his face and his arm bound across his chest, there was a wild desperation on Arthur's face that made Merlin almost take a step backwards.

"Open it." Arthur snarled, thrusting out his hand even as he walked closer. Merlin didn't have time to protest or even ask what was happening before the prince had forced something into his hand. His finger closed around it instinctively and Merlin glanced down.

"No." He said firmly, placing the bottle down on the table and taking a step away from both the potion and Arthur. "I don't care if it is what you are craving, I'm not doing it."

"I order you to."

"You know me, I never follow your orders. Or maybe you don't know…Arthur? What do you remember?" it was so easy to deliver a comeback without truly thinking through the fact that this whole conversation might be in vain if the prince didn't remember precisely what was going on. What if he didn't remember Merlin, but just remembered that he had magic?

"I know, Merlin." The warlock wasn't sure whether it was the way that Arthur's voice seemed to soften, or it was the fact that he had used his name, but Merlin swallowed. Arthur truly did know, this was happening… Merlin swallowed hard, taking a deep breath as he did so.

"That's why you have to open the bottle. I heard you earlier, you don't think that I can do this, you don't trust that I will keep your secret."

In a way, Merlin wasn't sure whether he wasn't just still dreaming. Was Arthur truly admitting that he would protect Merlin from Uther, that he would accept his magic? Why would he..?

"I know you saved my life. You swore that you were a friend, that you would only help. I might not…remember precisely everything that has been going on, but I did know that you were telling the truth in that moment, I could see it in your eyes."

"Then why do you want to get into the bottle? Is it your father?" Merlin didn't quite understand where Arthur was coming from here, but somehow, he got the feeling that he was seeing a side to the prince that not many ever got the chance to witness. Arthur shook his head, but Merlin could see the way that he was biting his lip. Everything Nimueh had put him through had certainly led to a slightly more vulnerable side to Arthur.

"You didn't want to be the one to make the decision about whether or not I should be allowed to remember. You also said that you were a friend. Friends help each other, right?" Merlin slowly nodded, watching Arthur closely. He had a feeling he knew what Arthur was working towards, but still couldn't quite accept that it was happening.

"So if I chose to drink it, you won't have to make the decision. It can be up to you whether I know or not, rather than that….she…rather than her. You'd be able to tell me yourself when you felt ready rather than what she had done in order to force the situation." Arthur shuddered slightly, and Merlin realised that he still had some recollection of Nimueh. "So I'd be helping you, right?"

The servant literally felt his jaw drop. Arthur was prepared to allow himself to forget something that important, just because he wanted to be a friend? Merlin knew that this was because his mind was such a vulnerable place right now, that the old Arthur would have arrested him thinking it was in the best interest of Camelot. In a way, this put Merlin in an even worse position. Did he allow Arthur to do something he wouldn't normally consider as a way of helping things go back to normal and therefore aiding the prince's recovery? Or did he stand and fight, make the point that a friend would also protect the secret without needing to go to such lengths.

Arthur, however, clearly wasn't prepared to wait for Merlin to come to a decision about what to do. As soon as Merlin hesitated, he lunged forward. Merlin knew in that split second that he was going for the potion again, and that because he knew what Arthur was like, he was also aware of the fact that the prince would stop at nothing to get into it now that he had got the idea lodged in his head. Knowing he had nothing to lose, Merlin let his eyes flash. As Arthur's hand shot out, the bottle soared gracefully off the table into Merlin's outstretched hand.

"Give it to me!"

"No! I will not let you wipe your memory just because you think you are helping me. This isn't you, Arthur. You have to be thinking straight, I need to know that you are okay with my magic, I can't let you do this, you aren't well…"

"Give me the damn bottle!" Arthur snarled, and Merlin could see in the flex of the prince's fingers that had he had his sword, it would now be levelled at Merlin's throat or chest. Why was it that he never seemed to win when it came to Arthur? He decided to let the prince remember, and Arthur decided that he didn't want to remember, just .because he thought that he was helping Merlin.

"No. You don't want to do this, Arthur." Merlin backed away slightly, knowing that even with a broken arm, Arthur was dangerous. The man was scared, his mind not quite there, and that meant that he was an even greater threat than when he was thinking rationally. The normal Arthur, Merlin was beginning to be able to predict. This one, he had no idea what he was going to do next.

"You don't tell me what to do."

"No, you're right, I don't. Which is why I know that you making yourself forget is not something that you truly want to do." Merlin thought that if he could reason with Arthur, they might be able to reach some sort of compromise. Letting his eyes flare again, he gently lowered Arthur onto the chair that was still standing before moving in front of him. As soon as he had sat down, the anger seemed to drain out of the prince and he let his head rest on his good arm.

"I wanted to do something to help, something to make me feel like I was fighting back in some way." He mumbled, his voice almost lost in his hand. Merlin grimaced in sympathy. He knew Arthur hated feeling like he couldn't even help, but with not truly remembering what was happening, no wonder he was desperate. It didn't matter who or what he was doing to help, as long as he knew in his own mind that he was doing something.

"This isn't the way, Sire." Merlin said gently, coaxing Arthur to look up at him. "You can't just make yourself forget. I could have done it, could have taken the choice away from you, but it wasn't the right thing to do."

"It's the easy way though."

"True," Merlin muttered with a small laugh, leaning back so that the table was taking his weight rather than his bad leg. "But the Arthur Pendragon I know never does things the easy way."

"I think you know him better than I do right now." Arthur whispered, and it was with that admittance that Merlin realised quite how much this whole thing had been affecting the prince. It was almost easy to forget whilst Arthur had been unconscious that the man was desperately clinging onto the memory of who he even was, let alone anything else.

"Gaius says that it will all come back, you just need to get it out of your system. Taking more isn't going to help anyway, not you, not me…"

"But what if it all comes back and I change my mind? What if I think you are dangerous, a threat rather than someone that tried to help me?"

"Then I still have the memory of this conversation." Merlin said quietly, something in his chest clenching at the thought of Arthur turning against him once everything had come back to him. But he knew that was up to Arthur – he would rather have to run for his life knowing that Arthur was okay rather than staying here and having to second guess everything and wonder what the prince truly knew/remembered.

"But I… Merlin, I'm getting bits back. It's not all blank. I know that I'm not a good friend, not to you, not to anybody. Maybe for once I just want to do something right, be able to help someone else out?" Arthur had lifted his head slightly again, and Merlin could see that the desperation that had been present on his face when Merlin had entered the room was still shining out of his eyes. Arthur wanted this more than anything, wanted to feel like he was a friend. Merlin couldn't help but wonder that behind his big words and arrogant nature, Arthur was just a lonely young man.

"Look at it this way, Arthur. A friendship isn't something that just happens, it is something that you have to work at, something that you have to fight for. If you let yourself remember, we can take each thing as it comes. We'll get through it, and we'll be stronger for it, we'll be proper friends. If I let you take this potion, it will all be based on a lie, and what kind of friendship is that?"

"You won't think any less of me if I go back to exactly how I was?" Arthur whispered, and Merlin smiled. He slid off the table, smoothly hiding the potion away in his pocket as he did so and began to tidy the room up slightly from where it was obvious Arthur had thrown a slight tantrum at not being able to get the top off the bottle. He was making the conscious effort of returning things to normal, but couldn't resist one last word.

"Never, Sire." Arthur didn't answer verbally, but Merlin saw him nod, more to himself than anyone else. The prince sunk deeper into his seat, wincing as he did so. Yet Merlin could see that he had stopped looking for the bottle.

Now all they could do was wait and see what happened next.


	20. Chapter 20

**Well, here we are, the last chapter. Thank you so much to all of you who have reviewed/alerted/favourited, anything, whether it has been from the beginning or picking it up halfway. It really means the absolute world to me and I cannot thank you enough. **

**Hope you enjoy the last part.**

The next few days were practically agony for Merlin. Nothing else had been said about their conversation, yet he could see Arthur watching him intently in the few moments they had alone together. Even with half of his memories missing, Arthur seemed to have been able to recall enough to know not to draw attention to his servant in front of his father. Merlin knew that he should have been relieved, he should have been grateful that Arthur was so determined to be a friend. But he couldn't. As much as Arthur had been meaning what he was saying at the time, Merlin knew that if the prince had been in his right mind, his only thought would have been for Camelot, maybe even going as far as thinking how Merlin had betrayed him. He certainly wouldn't be taking it like this. With Arthur not remembering, he might have accepted the magic, but Merlin knew that until he remembered, until he understood that Merlin had effectively betrayed the same friendship that the prince himself was trying to create, the issue wasn't settled.

Instead, Merlin was more on edge than he had ever been in his entire life. When Arthur hadn't remembered, he was almost convinced that the prince wouldn't say anything. There was enough of the knight left in him for Arthur to know that he needed all the information before picking his battles, and without that, he would stay quiet. But as pieces started to come back, Merlin could occasionally see the glimmer of anger in Arthur's eyes as something made itself known to him. Merlin wasn't sure whether he was regretting what he had said before about wanting to be a friend, but he did know that he had to be careful.

Of course, things never went that smoothly. Rather than Arthur slowly beginning to come back to them as his memories slotted into place, the opposite had happened. Gaius had warned both Uther and Merlin that it might be a possibility, but it was something that they had hoped to avoid considering how long Arthur had been unconscious for. Gaius had hoped that those few days would have been enough for the drug to leave his system, but Merlin had been certain that something felt off. There was something magical about that drug, something that he knew meant Nimueh had done something in order to make sure that Arthur didn't escape her that easily.

Uther had sent a fresh lot of knights out almost as soon as he had made sure that Arthur was settled, and Merlin had been relieved to find that Jorah had gone with them. He was sure the man didn't mean him any harm now, but he couldn't stop his skin from crawling every time he caught a glimpse of the man. But whilst the knights were still out there searching for some sign of Nimueh, a message had come back that absolutely nothing had been found. There was evidence in the cave that proved that Arthur had been held prisoner in there, but other than that, nothing. No sign whatsoever about where the witch might have gone. Merlin knew that his magic hadn't been strong enough to kill her, not with the way that he had lashed out. But knowing that she was still out there somewhere, possibly even having her sights still set on Arthur… It was why Merlin had practically refused to leave Arthur's side, just in case. His mind might have been put at rest if Arthur had been regaining some of his strength, but that was not the case.

Instead of recovering, the prince had gone into withdrawal.

It was horrible to watch, yet as his servant, Merlin had no choice in the matter. Arthur had been shaking and trembling, sweating violently as he tried to plead for something to make it all stop. Gaius had tried talking to him, tried to soothe the agitated prince and make him use the restraint he had through his training as a knight to not give in to the effects of what was happening, But Arthur still didn't remember everything, and Gaius had instead been forced to back away rather rapidly as Arthur had suddenly gone for him, snarling dangerously. Arthur might not remember his training, but his body did, meaning that he was still as deadly as ever. Possibly even more so considering he didn't have the self-restraint the old Arthur would have.

Thinking back to the wild look that had been present in Arthur's eyes, Merlin sighed. He was sitting at the prince's bedside, desperately trying to ignore the way that Arthur's body was straining as small cries fell from him. They had been given no choice but to tie Arthur down before he hurt either himself or someone else. Soft strips of cloth were wrapped around his good wrist and bound to the bed, keeping him pinned. His other arm was still strapped up across his chest, but Gaius had taken precautions but securing Arthur's ankles as well. Merlin wasn't sure whether anyone had even noticed that he had secretly reinforced them with magic, knowing better than most Arthur's strength when he was angry. Whilst it hurt hearing and seeing Arthur like this, Merlin knew that he had to ignore him. Gaius had told him that the prince would try every trick in the book to give his body what it was craving, so anything that he said was not Arthur thinking straight.

"I hate you." Arthur snarled, bucking up against the ties holding him down as he struggled to get free. "You're a filthy sorcerer, a liar and a cheat. I'm protecting you, and you won't even have the decency to let me go! This is all your fault!"

Merlin sighed, placing his hand on Arthur's shoulder and forcing the prince to lie back down again. When Arthur refused to yield, Merlin let his eyes flash and the prince's elbow gave way from where it had been supporting him, sending Arthur crashing back down again. Thankfully, he didn't try and rise again, and Merlin scrubbed his hand over his face, sighing in exhaustion. It was all very well Gaius telling him to ignore what Arthur was saying, but it was so hard. Especially considering he knew these were the same words that Arthur might have been saying if he had found out about the secret that his servant had been hiding in any other way. Arthur's words about hating him, Merlin could ignore, he knew that wasn't true. But what he was saying about the magic…Part of him wondered how much Arthur meant what was coming out of his mouth.

Standing up, Merlin looked down long and hard at his master. Arthur was refusing to look at him now, staring at the canopy above his bed and clearly blinking back tears as his body trembled. Cursing Nimueh under his breath, Merlin began to move around the room, tidying up as he went. Not that there was much that needed doing, someone had obviously come in during the time that they had both been absent from Camelot, but Merlin couldn't just sit there and listen to Arthur say those things. He needed to be moving, needed to be busy and keeping his mind occupied with other things rather than the words that had been falling from Arthur's lips for the last two days. He had too much on his mind to be able to take much more of it, yet refused to leave Arthur's care to someone else.

In a way, he envied Arthur. The prince could fall apart like this because everyone was blaming it on the drug, knowing that it wasn't him acting like this. He could scream and cry all he liked, and no one would think any differently of him for it. Yet Merlin had to listen as his destiny claimed to hate him, claimed to hate who he was. He had been through as much as Arthur out there, and yet he had to once again pretend that everything was okay. Arianna was haunting his dreams in a way that Merlin didn't even think was possible, but apart from the odd snatches of conversation he could have with Gaius, he couldn't talk about it. He certainly couldn't scream and rant in the way that Arthur had been doing.

"Merlin, please…" The prince's voice was a quiet whisper this time, and when Merlin looked over, he could see that the only part of his body that Arthur had moved was his head. His servant wasn't fooled though, he knew that Arthur was simply changing tact. Claiming that he hated the warlock hadn't made Merlin react, so he was going for something different. It might have looked and sounded genuine if it wasn't for the way that his hand was twisting in their restraints, still trying to get free.

"Please, just let me go, let me have some and it will all go away. I don't want to be like this, I don't want to hurt you…Please, Merlin, please…"

"Go to sleep, Arthur." Merlin muttered, forcing himself to move back across to the bed. Pulling the covers up higher over Arthur's trembling body, he checked the prince's temperature and sighed. It was still too high, he was still fighting this off. Dipping a nearby cloth in the ready and waiting bowl of water, Merlin gently laid it across Arthur's forehead, using a spare to dab away the building sweat.

"Please…"

"Just rest, Sire, and it will all be better when you wake up." Merlin kept his voice soft and calming. The only good thing about what Arthur's body was putting him through was that it meant that he did fall asleep often and Merlin knew that he had been awake for a few hours now. It was time for him to get some more rest, and just this once, Arthur didn't try and argue with him. He just rested his head back, staring at the ceiling once again.

"I'm sorry." He eventually whispered, sounding more like the prince that Merlin knew than he had done for days. The warlock sighed, busying himself with adjusting the covers and the cloth once again so that he didn't have to look Arthur in the eye.

"I know you don't believe me, I know you just think that I'm trying to find a way of getting what it is that I want, but I mean it, Merlin. Leave me tied up here all month if you have to, just please believe that I am sorry for what you have been through. I know I'm not the only one that is having the nightmares, I heard you last night."

Merlin flushed. He hadn't meant to fall asleep in the chair, but had napped for at least an hour before Gaius had woken him up and sent him back to bed. Whilst Merlin's own fever had broken, his wounds had not yet healed and the physician was making sure to keep a close eye on both of the injured young men. Merlin was using Arthur as an excuse, claiming that he had to be near in case his master wanted anything, but the truth was that it just stopped him from having to sleep. He couldn't face seeing Arianna's accusing stare more than he had to.

"It's nothing." He shrugged, his hands yet again smoothing the covers down around Arthur. The prince rolled his head so that he could look his servant in the eye, and Merlin could see the way that he was biting his lip. It was obvious that Arthur was trying hard to control himself here, that he was thinking clearly enough to want to have this conversation, and Merlin just hoped that it meant that he was beginning to win against Nimueh.

"You can't lie to me, Merlin. How on earth you managed it for this length of time, I have no idea, but you can't lie now. I'm protecting your secret, am I not?"

"Yes." Merlin said slowly, sitting back as he did so. Somehow, he just got the feeling that Arthur's grip on reality had slipped again, and sure enough, the maniacal gleam was back in the prince's eye.

"So the least you can do is thank me by just letting me go, damnit! I'm your master, Merlin, I order you to release me this instant and give me what I want." The softness to Arthur's voice had completely disappeared and his words came out as little more than a snarl. Merlin shook his head softly.

"You know that I never do as you say." He murmured, adjusting the cloth once more. He let his hand rest on Arthur's forehead, locking eyes with the prince even as gold began to flood his irises.

"No! No, Merlin, you can't, do you dare, please…" As threats and pleas fell from Arthur's lips, Merlin sighed softly.

"Sleep." He breathed, releasing the magic as he did so. Instantly, Arthur slumped and Merlin removed his hand, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. He wasn't sure how much more of this he could take, this was not the first time he had used magic to force Arthur to fall asleep. Whilst part of him knew that it was for the prince's own good not to be fighting all the time, he also knew that it was his way of protecting himself. There were only so many times a day that a warlock could be threatened with execution and then offered half the kingdom in one breath as Arthur tried to find a way to get more of the drug.

This time, however, Merlin leant back in his chair, sighing deeply as he dropped his hand and stared at the ceiling. There had been a moment, he was sure of it. Arthur had had a sense of clarity, he had known what he was saying. It hadn't been some attempt to get free, he had been genuinely apologising for what was happening. Merlin could only hope that it was because he was winning, that he was fighting back and forcing the drug from his system.

Arthur grunted in his sleep, his body jerking slightly as it continued to rebel against what it was being put through, and Merlin found that he was watching closely. It was exhausting being on edge this much, still not being sure whether Arthur was going to keep his secret or turn him over to his father the second that he was able to think clearly. Merlin just hoped the fact that he had lasted this long even with Arthur being delirious was a good sign. Once he knew one way or the other how Arthur was going to react, it would provide him with a sense of understanding.

Until then, however, he simply had to sit here and watch, knowing that the battle against Nimueh wasn't over until Arthur was back to himself once more.

MMM

It took a further two days before Arthur finally began to calm down. Not that Merlin would ever admit how worried he had been when he walked in that morning (he had only left because Gaius had forced him to spend at least a few hours in his own bed!) to find Arthur sleeping peacefully. He knew that it should be something that was good news, but for a heart stopping moment, the warlock had truly believed that Arthur had gone and died on him.

Thankful for the guards that Uther insisted stayed outside, Merlin had managed to get one of them to go and get Gaius relatively quickly. The old physician had looked more worn than Merlin had ever seen him as he hurried into the room, but the transformation that overtook the man's face was astonishing as he declared that Arthur was only sleeping. Merlin hadn't believed it, especially not when Gaius had managed to draw blood from the prince without him stirring, but he had seen the sample with his own eyes, he had felt how Arthur's temperature had gone back to normal again. When the royal finally opened his eyes hours later, there could be no denying that his mind was clear once again.

Arthur hadn't said anything for a long moment, and Merlin found that he was still waiting for his prince to say something. Anything… he just needed some sort of hint regarding what was going through Arthur's mind right now. His eyes were darting around the room anxiously, his mind going into overdrive about what was about to happen. Would Arthur call the guards? Would he let Merlin have a head start before hunting him down like the prey he could so easily be if Arthur chose?

"Gaius, can you give us a moment?" Arthur eventually asked, his voice hoarse and rough from days of misuse. Gaius looked at them both for a long moment, his gaze steady and searching before he muttered something about having rounds to do and left. Merlin tried to take a step after his guardian, tried to do anything to put off the moment that he had been waiting for. He had never before felt uncomfortable about being in a room with Arthur on his own, until now. Arthur simply raised an eyebrow.

"Help me sit up?" The prince was already struggling into an upright position one handed as he spoke, and not wanting him to hurt himself, Merlin followed his orders for once. When he had Arthur settled back comfortably on the pillows, the warlock once again made to step away, but found that Arthur's hand enclosed around his wrist, preventing such a movement. Merlin had to struggle to keep himself calm rather than immediately trying to fight Arthur off.

"I remember everything, Merlin."

"Right…" Merlin didn't know what else to say. He had guessed as much from Arthur's silence. The prince not only remembered that Merlin had magic, he also recalled how the warlock had used it to save him, and how Arthur himself had tried to put their friendship first rather than his duty to his kingdom.

"And I have to admit, I don't like it." Grateful that Arthur had finally let go of his wrist, Merlin took a small step backwards. This was it, this was when Arthur yelled for the guards and Merlin would be in the dungeons before he could even offer some sort of protest…

"But I also know that part of me accepted it. Not only you, but _her_ as well, when I thought that she was helping me, I didn't mind that she had magic."

"Magic isn't good or bad, Sire." Merlin whispered, studying his feet as he tried to keep himself still. He had to get this right for both of their sakes. If he didn't say the right thing, Arthur would turn against him, it was that simple. He had already admitted that he wasn't happy about the secret that his servant had been hiding, Merlin just now had to prove that everything was out in the open. This was who he was, Arthur had to either accept that for good, or say otherwise. Merlin could no longer live a lie, he refused to do so. "It's how it is used. You trusted her there because you only saw her magic being used to help you. You accepted me because you know that I saved you, that I would only ever look out for you…"

Arthur sighed, biting his lip as he avoided making eye contact with his servant.

"I need you to tell me everything. From the beginning, everything that has truly happened since you arrived here in Camelot." Grateful that he was getting the chance, Merlin did exactly that. He told Arthur everything, from how he truly saved him from Lady Helen's dagger to what made the snakes come alive in Valiant's shield during that final battle. He explained how he had cured Gwen's father, and then had been the one to cause the wind which allowed Arthur to defeat the Avanc. He told the prince every single thing that had truly happened since Arthur had been taken, talking until his voice was hoarse and he had run out of words.

Arthur listened in silence, even if his expression did change rapidly throughout Merlin's narration. But when the warlock finally finished talking, the silence stretched on. Merlin couldn't help but shift his weight, his eyes glancing between the prince and the door. Arthur may have been getting better, but he had only just got the drug out of his system and he still had a broken arm, Merlin could run for it if he had to.

"I still don't like it, it changes everything that I have ever been taught." Arthur muttered, his good hand picking with the bedclothes as he spoke. Merlin might have sympathised, understanding that this had just turned Arthur's world upside down, if it wasn't for the fact that his life rested on Arthur's decision here.

"But I did tell you that I would keep your secret, even if I was off my head at the time. I can't go back on my word."

"I wouldn't blame you if you did." Merlin mumbled, now playing with a stray piece of thread on the bottom of his sleeve. Gaius had finally declared that his wrists had healed enough for the bandages to come off, but Merlin still found that they hurt. It hadn't just been the chains that had made their mark, but Nimueh's magic as well. "Like you said, you were drugged at the time, I won't… I won't hold you to it."

"You would rather I turned against you?" Arthur sounded almost incredulous, as if he couldn't believe what Merlin was saying. In a way, Merlin himself wasn't sure why he wasn't just keeping his mouth shut and letting Arthur tell him that everything was going to be okay. But he had to know for sure, rather than just what Arthur felt like he should be saying.

"No." Merlin said simply, suddenly realising just how exhausted he felt. "But I would rather you had me executed than constantly holding it over me that you are keeping my secret. This is supposed to be some big moment for me, Arthur, and yet in the last few days, you've screamed that you'll have me executed, and then promised to never tell. What am I supposed to think? What do I believe?"

"You believe that part of me was telling the truth regarding what I said about friendship." Merlin blinked, looking up. The corners of his mouth turned up ever so slightly as he realised that Arthur was purposefully avoiding his gaze once again, and there was a distinct tinge to his cheeks. He always knew the prince wasn't one to talk openly about his feelings, but to see Arthur actually blush because of it… Merlin couldn't help but smile.

"You're a completely useless servant, idiotic and clumsy. You can't do anything right, you never get anywhere on time… Yet you saved my life. I can't deny what you did, Merlin, not when I saw it with my own eyes." Merlin barely dared to breathe, realising that these were the words that he had been waiting to hear for all of this time. Arthur wasn't just brushing it off in the same manner as he had done when he hadn't been aware of what was truly going on, there was a heavy note to his voice that Merlin had never heard before. Yet at the same time, it was still Arthur lying there and saying those words.

"Maybe because I am prince we can never be friends. And I sure as hell don't need someone like you protecting me, I can manage that perfectly well myself, thank you. But… I… Will you stay, Merlin?"

"Do you mean that?"

"No, I just made the whole thing up." Arthur drawled with a roll of his eyes, and Merlin couldn't help but grin. "Of course I meant it, you idiot, and I'm not saying it again."

The grin widened. Merlin couldn't help it, it was everything that he had been hoping for and more. Arthur had accepted him! He had accepted his magic, he wasn't going to have him banished or executed. He was letting him stay!

"You're not going to fire me again, are you?" He asked, but his voice was light and teasing, falling back into the familiar banter that they were both used to.

"No… but the stables do need mucking out." There was a glint back in Arthur's eye now. But it wasn't one of madness or desperation, just the familiar teasing glint that Merlin had become used to during his time with the prince. It seemed as if Arthur was truly on the mend. It was as if part of Merlin's mind was stuck on a loop, replaying Arthur's words, that he was allowed to stay, that both him and his secret were safe over and over again, it was only then that Merlin realised just how much he had been on edge ever since they had got Arthur back to Camelot.

Before he knew what was happening, his legs had given way. He completely missed the chair and ended up sitting on the floor, leaning back on Arthur's bed and focusing on keeping his breathing even and steady, his eyes screwed up tight. The overwhelming emotions that had been bubbling under the surface for so long threatened to overcome him and it was a good few moments before he could bring himself to open his eyes.

"You okay?" Arthur asked gruffly, and Merlin craned his head up to see that the prince was leaning over the bed awkwardly, making sure that he didn't put any pressure on his broken arm. Merlin offered his master (still inwardly celebrating the fact that that was what Arthur still was!) a weak smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Merlin dropped his eyes, pausing for a moment before he suddenly looked around again.

"Arthur?"

"What?"

"Are we okay?" The pause as he waited for Arthur to answer was possibly one of the longest in Merlin's life. It was one thing Arthur saying that he could stay, it was another thing him truly accepting the warlock for what he was.

"Yes, Merlin. We are okay. Like someone once told me, you have to fight for a friendship, it is not something that comes easily. We'll get there."

And just like that, Merlin knew that this whole ordeal was over. Arthur was right, their friendship was something that they were going to have to fight for. Maybe it wouldn't last, maybe there would be too many differences between them in order for them to work together even as master and servant. But the fact that Arthur was willing to give it a go was enough for Merlin. They might not have been able to find Nimueh, but Merlin knew one thing for sure. She had lost.

Destiny was back on track.

**One last review?**


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